How do I install the Dotnet Inspect Metadata skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add richlander/dotnet-inspect-metadata in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Dotnet Inspect Metadata safe to use?

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Which AI agents work with Dotnet Inspect Metadata?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Dotnet Inspect Metadata free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Dotnet Inspect Metadata?

richlander (@richlander) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Dotnet Inspect Metadata by richlander

Name: Dotnet Inspect Metadata
Author: richlander

File contents

dotnet-inspect: raw assembly metadata

Use this skill when API views are too high-level and you need the assembly's actual ECMA-335 tables, handles, flags, or heap values. The metadata lens inspects one assembly image and never loads the inspected assembly.

dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- <command>

Discover before reading

Metadata tables are unbounded and explicit-only: no verbosity or base category renders them automatically. Structural discovery lists the authored metadata family without running its producers; add --effective to identify the tables and heaps that have data for this image:

dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D @Metadata
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D @Metadata --effective
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -S @Metadata --count
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D "Metadata: TypeDef" --effective

Metadata: Image reports image-level facts. Table sections such as Metadata: TypeDef, Metadata: MethodDef, and Metadata: MemberRef decode handles, ranges, heap values, and flags instead of dumping raw integers.

Query one table

The # column is the real metadata row id. --rows therefore addresses table rows by displayed, 1-based metadata position rather than by the current page. Ranges are inclusive, so 100..199 selects 100 rows:

dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \
  -S "Metadata: MethodDef" --rows 100..199 --tsv
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \
  -S "Metadata: TypeRef" --columns "Name,Namespace,ResolutionScope" --jsonl

Table indices are accepted as input aliases when following a token:

dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -S "Metadata: 0x02"

That is the TypeDef table. A full token such as 0x02000015 addresses a row, not a table, and is rejected by -S.

Inspect heaps

The heap sections are Metadata: #Strings, Metadata: #Blob, Metadata: #GUID, and Metadata: #US. Use --heap for one exact coordinate:

dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \
  -S "Metadata: #Strings" --rows 20
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll --heap "#Strings:0x1a4"

Heap addresses are decimal unless prefixed with 0x. String and blob listings contain distinct values referenced by projected table rows, not a claim of complete heap enumeration; each listing reports its coverage.

Selecting @Metadata for a package that resolves to several assemblies is ambiguous and fails. Choose one DLL with library, or use package Foo --library only when the package has one unambiguous library.

---name: dotnet-inspect-metadatadescription: Query raw ECMA-335 assembly metadata — discover table and heap sections, inspect decoded rows and handles, address table or heap coordinates, and project bounded machine-readable results.---# dotnet-inspect: raw assembly metadataUse this skill when API views are too high-level and you need the assembly'sactual ECMA-335 tables, handles, flags, or heap values. The metadata lensinspects one assembly image and never loads the inspected assembly.```bashdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- <command>```## Discover before readingMetadata tables are unbounded and explicit-only: no verbosity or base categoryrenders them automatically. Structural discovery lists the authored metadatafamily without running its producers; add `--effective` to identify the tablesand heaps that have data for this image:```bashdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D @Metadatadnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D @Metadata --effectivednx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -S @Metadata --countdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -D "Metadata: TypeDef" --effective````Metadata: Image` reports image-level facts. Table sections such as`Metadata: TypeDef`, `Metadata: MethodDef`, and `Metadata: MemberRef` decodehandles, ranges, heap values, and flags instead of dumping raw integers.## Query one tableThe `#` column is the real metadata row id. `--rows` therefore addresses tablerows by displayed, 1-based metadata position rather than by the current page.Ranges are inclusive, so `100..199` selects 100 rows:```bashdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \ -S "Metadata: MethodDef" --rows 100..199 --tsvdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \ -S "Metadata: TypeRef" --columns "Name,Namespace,ResolutionScope" --jsonl```Table indices are accepted as input aliases when following a token:```bashdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll -S "Metadata: 0x02"```That is the `TypeDef` table. A full token such as `0x02000015` addresses a row,not a table, and is rejected by `-S`.## Inspect heapsThe heap sections are `Metadata: #Strings`, `Metadata: #Blob`,`Metadata: #GUID`, and `Metadata: #US`. Use `--heap` for one exact coordinate:```bashdnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll \ -S "Metadata: #Strings" --rows 20dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- library MyLib.dll --heap "#Strings:0x1a4"```Heap addresses are decimal unless prefixed with `0x`. String and blob listingscontain distinct values referenced by projected table rows, not a claim ofcomplete heap enumeration; each listing reports its coverage.Selecting `@Metadata` for a package that resolves to several assemblies isambiguous and fails. Choose one DLL with `library`, or use`package Foo --library` only when the package has one unambiguous library.

Frequently asked questions

Dotnet Inspect Metadata