msbuild

Use only for MSBuild failure investigation, build-performance analysis, or review of existing build XML/extension contracts. A plan to convert a working legacy/non-SDK project to SDK style or migrate packages.config is a project-system migration, NOT a build-file review: do not activate, even to check scope. Framework/API upgrades are also excluded. Activate for advisory Import/Exists hook and NuGet packed-import questions even without a checkout or failed build; .csproj/.fsproj/.vbproj/.props/.targets conditions; custom-target inputs/outputs; .binlog capture/replay; failing dotnet build/restore/pack/publish or MSBuild-based test builds; slow evaluation, compilation, copying, or no-change builds; and controlled timing comparisons. Exclude SDK installation alone, C# refactoring, runtime profiling, assertions after successful builds, and non-MSBuild builds.

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npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-msbuild

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npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-msbuild --target claude-code

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code-testing-agentALWAYS USE whenever asked to write, add, or generate unit tests for existing code in xUnit, MSTest, NUnit, pytest, Vitest/Jest, Go, or another framework, including "tests only for" one helper, function, class, or missing regression case as well as project-wide suites. Also use for "cover this untested method", scaffolding tests where none exist, sparse workspaces, classic packages.config MSTest, and extending healthy suites. Focused requests use a proportional direct workflow; broad requests use the full pipeline. DO NOT USE for only running/diagnosing tests, coverage/audits, a test blocked on a missing production seam (testability-obstacle), or correcting supplied MSTest assertions, attributes, lifecycle, or configuration without designing new cases (writing-mstest-tests).2 installs configure-authAdd authentication and authorization to a Blazor Web App, accounting for the app's render mode. USE WHEN the user needs [Authorize] on pages, AuthorizeView, role or policy-based access, login/logout Identity pages, or AuthenticationStateProvider. Also USE WHEN auth state is null after WebAssembly loads, SignInManager throws in an interactive component, <NotAuthorized> content never renders in static SSR, or HttpContext.User is null in an interactive component. DO NOT USE for general component authoring (see author-component), for prerendering concerns unrelated to auth (see support-prerendering), or for managing non-auth cascading state (see coordinate-components).1 installs build-perf-baselineEstablish build performance baselines and apply systematic optimization techniques. USE FOR: diagnosing slow builds, establishing before/after measurements (cold, warm, no-op scenarios), applying optimization strategies like static graph builds, artifacts output, and dependency graph trimming. Start here before diving into build-perf-diagnostics, incremental-build, or build-parallelism. DO NOT USE FOR: non-MSBuild build systems, detailed bottleneck analysis (use build-perf-diagnostics after baselining).1 installs plan-ui-changePlan complex Blazor UI features by decomposing them into focused components. USE FOR: building a complex Blazor page with multiple sections, planning component decomposition, designing a multi-section dashboard or layout, breaking down a large UI feature into composable components, pages with sidebars and content panels, any page with 3+ distinct visual sections or multiple interacting sub-features, identifying parent-child relationships and data flow. DO NOT USE FOR: creating new Blazor projects or apps from scratch (use create-blazor-project), implementing a single individual component (use author-component), writing component code with parameters and EventCallback (use author-component), or simple single-component pages.1 installs create-blazor-projectCreate a new ASP.NET Core web application or web site using Blazor. USE FOR: creating a new Blazor web app, scaffolding a new web project, starting a new web site, choosing render modes (Static SSR, Interactive Server, Interactive WebAssembly, Auto), running dotnet new blazor with the right options, setting up initial project structure. DO NOT USE FOR: adding features to existing projects, changing how an existing app renders, or component authoring (use author-component).1 installs migrate-nullable-referencesEnable nullable reference types in a C# project and systematically resolve all warnings. USE FOR: adopting NRTs in existing codebases, file-by-file or project-wide migration, fixing CS8602/CS8618/CS86xx warnings, annotating APIs for nullability, cleaning up null-forgiving operators, upgrading dependencies with new nullable annotations. DO NOT USE FOR: projects already fully migrated with zero warnings (unless auditing suppressions), fixing a handful of nullable warnings in code that already has NRTs enabled, suppressing warnings without fixing them, C# 7.3 or earlier projects. INVOKES: Get-NullableReadiness.ps1 scanner script.1 installs

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create-skillScaffolds new agent skills for the dotnet/skills repository. Use when creating a new skill, generating SKILL.md files, writing a skill description that the runtime will actually route to, or setting up skill directory structures. Handles frontmatter generation, section templates, and validation guidance. Do not use for fixing a skill that already fails its evaluation (use improve-skill-quality) or for writing eval.yaml (use create-skill-test).6 installs csharp-scriptsRun file-based C# apps with the .NET CLI when the user explicitly wants C#/.NET code without creating a project. Use for C# language/API experiments, one-file C# apps, small multi-file C# apps composed with `#:include`/`#:exclude`, or C# file-based apps linked with `#:ref`. Do not use for language-agnostic throwaway scripts, generic computations, Python/PowerShell-style automation, full projects, or existing app integration.4 installs analyzing-dotnet-performanceScans .NET code for ~50 performance anti-patterns across async, memory, strings, collections, LINQ, regex, serialization, and I/O with tiered severity classification. Use when analyzing .NET code for optimization opportunities, reviewing hot paths, or auditing allocation-heavy patterns.4 installs code-testing-extensionsProvides file paths to language-specific extension files for the code-testing pipeline. Call this skill to discover available extension guidance files (e.g., dotnet.md for .NET, cpp.md for C++). Do not use directly — invoked by code-testing agents and skills that need language-specific references.4 installs msbuild-serverGuide for using MSBuild Server to improve CLI build performance. Activate when developers report slow incremental builds from the command line, or when CLI builds are noticeably slower than IDE builds. Covers MSBUILDUSESERVER=1 environment variable for persistent server-based caching. Do not activate for IDE-based builds (Visual Studio already uses a long-lived process).2 installs system-text-json-net11Imperative guidance for the System.Text.Json APIs added in .NET 11: the built-in `JsonNamingPolicy.PascalCase` naming policy, and the strongly-typed `JsonSerializerOptions.GetTypeInfo<T>()` and `JsonSerializerOptions.TryGetTypeInfo<T>(out JsonTypeInfo<T>? info)` metadata accessors. USE ONLY when the user is targeting net11.0 or later and needs PascalCase JSON property or dictionary-key names without writing a custom naming policy, a strongly-typed `JsonTypeInfo<T>` instead of the non-generic `JsonTypeInfo`, or a no-throw way to probe whether a type's serialization metadata is resolved. DO NOT USE when the target is earlier than net11.0, the requested behavior uses an established pre-net11 naming policy, or the user explicitly selected another JSON library.2 installs

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Frequently asked questions about msbuild

What does the msbuild skill do?

How do I install the msbuild skill?

Run `npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-msbuild` from your terminal. The CLI writes the SKILL.md to the correct location for your AI tool (e.g. ~/.claude/skills/dotnet-msbuild/ for Claude Code or ~/.cursor/skills/ for Cursor with --target cursor) and adds it to your project's .skills.json lockfile.

Which AI tools does msbuild work with?

msbuild runs in Claude Code. It follows the open Agent Skills standard (SKILL.md), so the same skill works in every supported tool without modification.

Is the msbuild skill free?

Yes. Every skill on skills-hub.ai is free and open-source. There are no premium tiers, paywalls, or usage limits. You only pay for whatever AI assistant you're already using.

How do I use msbuild after installing it?

In Claude Code, type `/dotnet-msbuild` (or whatever slash command the skill registers) and the AI follows the skill's instructions immediately. You can also reference it by name in natural language, your AI loads the skill into context when relevant.

Can I share the msbuild skill with my team?

Yes. Commit your project's .skills.json lockfile and teammates run `npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install` (no args) to install every skill at the exact version you pinned. Organization-scoped installs work via skills-hub.ai organizations.