dotnet-inspect
Use dotnet-inspect for evidence about .NET packages, platform libraries, assemblies, APIs, dependencies, or API version diffs.
Run dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- <command>. -y skips interactive confirmation, and -- sends remaining options to dotnet-inspect rather than dnx.
Common starts
| Goal |
Command |
| Find an API |
find Pattern includes platform/BCL types; add --project path/to/project when project references should be in scope. Use find --literal "TEXT" --package Foo@version --tfm net10.0 instead to query 1-5 named packages' selected primary implementation assemblies; add -v:n for decoded ldstr use rows. TEXT is a case-sensitive ordinal substring, not a pattern. |
| Inspect a type |
type Type --package Foo; add --all for non-public/hidden members. |
| Inspect overloads |
member Type --platform Lib -m Name -S "Member Index" |
| Select an overload |
member Type --platform Lib Name:1 or Name~digest |
| Correlate one member's Findings |
member Type Method:1 --package Foo -S "Finding Census" --json returns one receipt-scoped Facts and annotated-source envelope. Load skill query for selection and format constraints. |
| Discover legal query values or demos |
vocabulary -D; select values with vocabulary -S Accessibility, -S "C# Style Choices" --json, or -S "C# Body Kinds"; use demo list for product-home scenarios. |
| Discover query facets and operators |
library -Q lists query-capable sections; type -Q "Body Shapes" or library -Q "Performance: Arrays" --json describes accepted keys and operators without inspection. |
| Find rendered body syntax |
library path/to.dll --where "Kind=ObjectCreationExpression", type Type --library path/to.dll --where "Kind=InvocationExpression", or member Type Method:1 --library path/to.dll --where "Kind=InvocationExpression"; load skill decompiler for stable kinds and coordinates. |
| Compare APIs or method bodies |
diff --package Foo@old..new --breaking (--additive new APIs; --alloc-regressions for allocation regressions); match Type.MethodA Type.MethodB --package Foo --body adds C#/IL body differences to the structural result; match Type.Method --similar --package Foo ranks structural candidates for discovery. |
| Trace API evolution |
timeline --package Foo@old..new --type Type --members --at all; omit --at to inspect the vector without acquiring packages. |
| Inspect packages |
package Foo; use -D to discover sections and -S "Signals,Audit: Findings" to audit text-bearing files and SourceLink mappings. Load skill private-feeds for custom/authenticated sources. |
| Inspect a Workspace |
workspace --package Foo@version --tfm net10.0; repeat --package to compose ordered package Roots. Exact duplicates coalesce; packages without compile assemblies remain members. Use --root-request TOKEN instead to reopen the exact Root a find --literal result names; it is refused rather than approximated by package id and version. |
| Inspect libraries |
library Foo or library path/to.dll; use -D to discover sections and -S "Unsafe Members" for standalone unsafe evidence. Load skill metadata for raw ECMA-335 tables/heaps. |
| Dependencies and relationships |
dependency-evidence --package Foo --tfm net10.0 for direct declarations; depends Type, extensions Type, or implements Interface for traversed relationships. Load skill relationships for scopes and semantics. |
Member lookup
Run find Name when scope is unknown, inspect the type, then -S "Member Index" to list overloads. Select with Name:N (1-based) or Name~digest (stable). A selected overload
defaults to Signature. A fully-qualified Namespace.Type.Member needs no scope.
Tips
package and library produce terse, token-efficient, high-value domain content by default. Output supports Markdown, tables, TSV, JSONL, and JSON; load dotnet-inspect skill query for discovery, selection, projection, and limits.- Add
--project <csproj|dir|project.assets.json> when project-referenced packages should be in scope; it reads existing restored assets, so restore/build first if dependencies changed.
- Common BCL types resolve without scope:
type string, type 'List<T>'. Quote generics and patterns: member 'Dictionary<TKey,TValue>', -S "Async*".
- Unpinned packages use latest stable; add
--preview for prerelease APIs.
Interpret fixed text
[Text omitted: required containment]: a complete value or document was not shared because it carried a text concern; this does not imply malicious intent.REDACTED: a URL query or credential-bearing path segment was removed.<unparsable-url>: no original locator was shown because an authority-like value could not be parsed into URL components.<absent> or (absent): a requested package document was not present; this is not containment or redaction.\u202E, \U0001F600, \^[, and similar backslash forms preserve source text as reversible visual spellings. They are not replacements; do not decode them into live control or format characters before display or persistence.
1---2name: dotnet-inspect3description: Find evidence instead of guessing for .NET packages, platform libraries, local assemblies, APIs, dependencies, and version-to-version API changes.4---56# dotnet-inspect78Use dotnet-inspect for evidence about .NET packages, platform libraries, assemblies, APIs, dependencies, or API version diffs.910Run `dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- <command>`. `-y` skips interactive confirmation, and `--` sends remaining options to dotnet-inspect rather than `dnx`.1112## Common starts1314| Goal | Command |15| ---- | ------- |16| Find an API | `find Pattern` includes platform/BCL types; add `--project path/to/project` when project references should be in scope. Use `find --literal "TEXT" --package Foo@version --tfm net10.0` instead to query 1-5 named packages' selected primary implementation assemblies; add `-v:n` for decoded `ldstr` use rows. `TEXT` is a case-sensitive ordinal substring, not a pattern. |17| Inspect a type | `type Type --package Foo`; add `--all` for non-public/hidden members. |18| Inspect overloads | `member Type --platform Lib -m Name -S "Member Index"` |19| Select an overload | `member Type --platform Lib Name:1` or `Name~digest` |20| Correlate one member's Findings | `member Type Method:1 --package Foo -S "Finding Census" --json` returns one receipt-scoped Facts and annotated-source envelope. Load `skill query` for selection and format constraints. |21| Discover legal query values or demos | `vocabulary -D`; select values with `vocabulary -S Accessibility`, `-S "C# Style Choices" --json`, or `-S "C# Body Kinds"`; use `demo list` for product-home scenarios. |22| Discover query facets and operators | `library -Q` lists query-capable sections; `type -Q "Body Shapes"` or `library -Q "Performance: Arrays" --json` describes accepted keys and operators without inspection. |23| Find rendered body syntax | `library path/to.dll --where "Kind=ObjectCreationExpression"`, `type Type --library path/to.dll --where "Kind=InvocationExpression"`, or `member Type Method:1 --library path/to.dll --where "Kind=InvocationExpression"`; load `skill decompiler` for stable kinds and coordinates. |24| Compare APIs or method bodies | `diff --package Foo@old..new --breaking` (`--additive` new APIs; `--alloc-regressions` for allocation regressions); `match Type.MethodA Type.MethodB --package Foo --body` adds C#/IL body differences to the structural result; `match Type.Method --similar --package Foo` ranks structural candidates for discovery. |25| Trace API evolution | `timeline --package Foo@old..new --type Type --members --at all`; omit `--at` to inspect the vector without acquiring packages. |26| Inspect packages | `package Foo`; use `-D` to discover sections and `-S "Signals,Audit: Findings"` to audit text-bearing files and SourceLink mappings. Load `skill private-feeds` for custom/authenticated sources. |27| Inspect a Workspace | `workspace --package Foo@version --tfm net10.0`; repeat `--package` to compose ordered package Roots. Exact duplicates coalesce; packages without compile assemblies remain members. Use `--root-request TOKEN` instead to reopen the exact Root a `find --literal` result names; it is refused rather than approximated by package id and version. |28| Inspect libraries | `library Foo` or `library path/to.dll`; use `-D` to discover sections and `-S "Unsafe Members"` for standalone unsafe evidence. Load `skill metadata` for raw ECMA-335 tables/heaps. |29| Dependencies and relationships | `dependency-evidence --package Foo --tfm net10.0` for direct declarations; `depends Type`, `extensions Type`, or `implements Interface` for traversed relationships. Load `skill relationships` for scopes and semantics. |3031## Member lookup3233Run `find Name` when scope is unknown, inspect the type, then `-S "Member Index"` to list overloads. Select with `Name:N` (1-based) or `Name~digest` (stable). A selected overload34defaults to `Signature`. A fully-qualified `Namespace.Type.Member` needs no scope.3536## Tips3738- `package` and `library` produce terse, token-efficient, high-value domain content by default. Output supports Markdown, tables, TSV, JSONL, and JSON; load `dotnet-inspect skill query` for discovery, selection, projection, and limits.39- Add `--project <csproj|dir|project.assets.json>` when project-referenced packages should be in scope; it reads existing restored assets, so restore/build first if dependencies changed.40- Common BCL types resolve without scope: `type string`, `type 'List<T>'`. Quote generics and patterns: `member 'Dictionary<TKey,TValue>'`, `-S "Async*"`.41- Unpinned packages use latest stable; add `--preview` for prerelease APIs.4243## Interpret fixed text4445- `[Text omitted: required containment]`: a complete value or document was not shared because it carried a text concern; this does not imply malicious intent.46- `REDACTED`: a URL query or credential-bearing path segment was removed.47- `<unparsable-url>`: no original locator was shown because an authority-like value could not be parsed into URL components.48- `<absent>` or `(absent)`: a requested package document was not present; this is not containment or redaction.49- `\u202E`, `\U0001F600`, `\^[`, and similar backslash forms preserve source text as reversible visual spellings. They are not replacements; do not decode them into live control or format characters before display or persistence.
richlander