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Download, inspect, and diff .NET APIs for a given build or release. Use `dotnet-inspect` to verify that APIs actually exist in the shipped packages, detect missed reverts, and generate before/after API diffs. Use `RunApiDiff.ps1` when a full markdown diff report is needed.
Generate and maintain .NET release notes from `features.json`. Uses `generate-changes` for authoritative shipped-change data, `generate-features` for scoring/triage, `update-existing-branch` for incremental reruns on populated branches, `editorial-scoring` for the shared rubric, `api-diff`/`dotnet-inspect` for API verification, and a multi-model `review-release-notes` pass for final editorial QA.
Refresh an existing .NET release-notes milestone branch set incrementally. Checks whether the VMR ref moved, regenerates `changes.json` only when needed, merges the delta into `features.json`, integrates new material into existing markdown clusters across the per-component branches, and responds to review feedback. USE FOR: reruns on a populated release-notes branch set. DO NOT USE FOR: first-pass generation of a new milestone (use generate-changes, generate-features, and release-notes).
Create and update per-distro package files in release-notes/{version}/distros/ that document .NET runtime dependencies and package availability for each Linux distribution. USE FOR: setting up distros/ for a new .NET version, updating dependency package names when distro versions change, auditing package data. DO NOT USE FOR: supported-os.json changes (use update-supported-os skill), os-packages.json (legacy format).
Create the GitHub release discussion in dotnet/core and the locked mirror announcement issue in dotnet/announcements for a .NET preview, RC, or GA release. USE FOR: publishing release discussions after release notes exist, mirroring a newly created discussion into dotnet/announcements, verifying an existing post, and re-running a partially completed publication safely. DO NOT USE FOR: writing release notes, generating changes/features.json, or retrying create commands blindly after cancellation.
Update the HAL+JSON release information graph when new .NET releases ship. Regenerates index files across the version hierarchy (root → major → patch), timeline hierarchy (timeline → year → month), llms.json, and downloads using graph generator tools. USE FOR: adding a new patch release to the graph, adding a new major version, updating timeline entries after a release, refreshing the graph after source data changes. DO NOT USE FOR: supported-os.json changes (use update-supported-os skill), querying the graph (use dotnet-releases skill on release-index branch), editing generated graph files by hand (update source data and regenerate).
Apply the shared reader-centric rubric used to rank candidate features for release notes, blog posts, and docs. Use this when you need scoring and cut guidance independent of any one output format or task.
| name | api-diff |
| description | Download, inspect, and diff .NET APIs for a given build or release. Use `dotnet-inspect` to verify that APIs actually exist in the shipped packages, detect missed reverts, and generate before/after API diffs. Use `RunApiDiff.ps1` when a full markdown diff report is needed. |
Use this skill when you need evidence about the actual public API surface of a .NET build.
This is primarily for:
Do not trust the locally installed SDK for preview work. Query the target build's packages directly.
Use the process in api-verification.md:
build-metadata.jsonnuget.source and the package versions for the target releasedotnet-inspect against those exact packagesdotnet-inspectTypical tasks:
Examples:
# Find a type in the runtime ref pack
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- find "*AnyNewLine*" \
--package "Microsoft.NETCore.App.Ref@${VER}" \
--source "$FEED"
# Verify members on a type
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- member RegexOptions \
--package "Microsoft.NETCore.App.Ref@${VER}" \
--source "$FEED" \
-k field
# Diff public APIs between two versions
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- diff \
--package "Microsoft.NETCore.App.Ref@11.0.0-preview.2..11.0.0-preview.3" \
--source "$FEED"
If the API is missing from the target build, treat that as a serious signal: it may have been renamed, kept internal, or reverted.
RunApiDiff.ps1 for full diff reportsWhen the user wants the markdown-ready, repo-shaped API diff output, use release-notes/RunApiDiff.ps1. See release-notes/RunApiDiff.md for the full parameter reference.
| User says | Parameters |
|---|---|
| "generate the next API diff" | (none) |
| ".NET 10 GA vs .NET 11 Preview 1" | -PreviousMajorMinor 10.0 -CurrentMajorMinor 11.0 -CurrentPrereleaseLabel preview.1 |
| "net9.0-preview6 to net10.0-preview5" | -PreviousMajorMinor 9.0 -PreviousPrereleaseLabel preview.6 -CurrentMajorMinor 10.0 -CurrentPrereleaseLabel preview.5 |
| ".NET 10 RC 2 vs .NET 10 GA" | -PreviousMajorMinor 10.0 -PreviousPrereleaseLabel rc.2 -CurrentMajorMinor 10.0 |
| "10.0.0-preview.7.25380.108 to 10.0.0-rc.1.25451.107" | -PreviousVersion "10.0.0-preview.7.25380.108" -CurrentVersion "10.0.0-rc.1.25451.107" |
PrereleaseLabel parameter for RunApiDiff.ps1; if a downstream api-diff release label is needed, use ga-PrereleaseLabel preview.N (for example, preview.4, not preview4)-PrereleaseLabel rc.N-MajorMinor X.Y -PrereleaseLabel preview.N-PreviousVersion / -CurrentVersion directly.\release-notes\RunApiDiff.ps1 [mapped parameters]
Set an initial wait of at least 300 seconds — the script takes several minutes. After completion, summarize the results: how many diff files were generated and where.