dotnet-inspect

name	dotnet-inspect
version	0.7.8
description	Query .NET APIs across NuGet packages, platform libraries, and local files. Search for types, list API surfaces, compare and diff versions, find extension methods and implementors. Use whenever you need to answer questions about .NET library contents. As of v0.7.8, [Obsolete] members are surfaced in listings — pair with cs0618-hunter (compiler-based) for runtime ground-truth.

dotnet-inspect

Query .NET library APIs — types, members, diffs, extensions, implementations, dependencies, and source links.

ℹ️ [Obsolete] Detection — Status as of v0.7.8

Closed gap (good news): As of richlander/dotnet-inspect v0.7.8 (2026-05-04), the tool now surfaces [Obsolete] members in listings (PR #318, closes issue #316). The historical blind spot — where overloads of AddFanInBarrierEdge appeared identical even when one was deprecated — is fixed in this version.

dotnet-inspect and cs0618-hunter are now complementary, not workaround-vs-truth:

Use…	When…
dotnet-inspect (this skill)	Pre-build static inspection — "what is deprecated in Microsoft.Agents.AI@1.3.0?" without compiling. Fast, scriptable, works against any NuGet package.
cs0618-hunter skill	Compiler ground-truth — "what is my code actually triggering today?" Catches transitive obsoletions, overload-resolution surprises, and project-specific [Obsolete] definitions that aren't in NuGet.

Both keep value. Earlier versions (≤ v0.7.7) required cs0618-hunter as the only reliable path; v0.7.8 makes static inspection a viable pre-build option.

Pin to v0.7.8 or later. Versions ≤ v0.7.7 will miss [Obsolete] annotations and silently mislead.

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When to Use This Skill (and When NOT to)

Use dotnet-inspect when…	Use cs0618-hunter instead when…
Checking if a type exists in a package	You need the compiler's view of CS0618 warnings in your project
Listing members of a type (incl. [Obsolete] as of v0.7.8)	You suspect transitive or overload-resolution-dependent obsoletions
Diffing breaking changes between versions	A project-local [Obsolete] attribute (not in NuGet) is in play
Finding extension methods	—
Looking up method signatures	—
Pre-build "would this break if I upgraded?" check	Build verification after edits

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Quick Decision Tree

• Code broken after upgrade? → diff --package Foo@old..new first, then member
• What types exist in a package? → type --package Foo
• What members does a type have? → member Type --package Foo (now flags [Obsolete])
• What changed between versions? → diff --package Foo@1.2.0..1.3.0
• What does this type depend on? → depends (try --mermaid for diagrams — v0.7.5+)
• Where is the source code? → source Type --package Foo
• What does my project actually trigger? → cs0618-hunter (compiler ground-truth)

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Installation and Invocation

# Install (once, global)
dotnet tool install -g dnx

# Standard pattern — BOTH --source flags are required for NuGet packages
dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- <command> \
  --package <PackageName>@<version> --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

The --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json flag must appear on both the dnx invocation and the inner command.

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Key Commands for MAF Migrations

Diff breaking changes between MAF versions

dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- diff \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI@1.2.0..1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- diff \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows@1.2.0..1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

List types in a MAF package

dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- type \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows@1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

Inspect members of a specific type

dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- member ChatClientAgent \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI@1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- member WorkflowBuilder \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows@1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

Inspect a specific method (single overload detail view — DOES show custom attributes)

# Use --params to select a specific overload, --index for full detail including custom attributes
dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- member WorkflowBuilder \
  --package Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows@1.3.0 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json \
  -m AddFanInBarrierEdge --params "ExecutorBinding,IEnumerable<ExecutorBinding>" --index

The single-overload --index view has always shown [Obsolete] in the Custom Attributes section. As of v0.7.8 the multi-overload listing also surfaces [Obsolete], so you no longer need to know which overload to suspect in advance.

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General Usage Patterns

# List members of a type
dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- member JsonSerializer \
  --package System.Text.Json --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

# What changed between versions
dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- diff \
  --package System.CommandLine@2.0.0-beta4.22272.1..2.0.3 --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

# Check latest version
dnx dotnet-inspect@0.7.8 -y --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json -- \
  Microsoft.Agents.AI --latest-version --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json

Key Syntax Rules

• Generic types need quotes: 'Option<T>', 'IEnumerable<T>'
• Diff ranges use ..: --package Foo@1.2.0..1.3.0
• -m filters by member name: -m AddFanInBarrierEdge
• --params selects a specific overload by parameter types
• --index shows full detail including custom attributes (but only for single-overload view)
• Do NOT pipe output through head/tail — use --head N / --tail N built-in flags

Command Quick Reference

Command	Purpose
type	Discover types in a package
member	Inspect members of a type
diff	Compare API surfaces between versions
find	Search for types by glob/fuzzy match
extensions	Find extension methods for a type
implements	Find types implementing an interface
depends	Walk dependency graphs
source	SourceLink URLs, fetch source content
package	Package metadata and versions