dotnet-inspect
A CLI tool for inspecting .NET assemblies and NuGet packages.
Requirements
- •.NET 10+ SDK
Installation
Use dnx to run without global installation (like npx for Node):
bash
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- <command>
Important:
- •Always use
-yto skip the interactive confirmation prompt (which breaks LLM tool use). New package versions also trigger this prompt. - •Always use
--to separate dnx options from tool arguments. Without it,--helpshows dnx help, not dotnet-inspect help.
Quick Patterns
Start with these common workflows:
bash
# Understand a type's API shape (start here - most useful for learning APIs) dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- api JsonSerializer --package System.Text.Json --tree # Compare API changes between versions (essential for migrations) dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- diff --package System.CommandLine@2.0.0-beta4.22272.1..2.0.2 dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- diff Command --package System.CommandLine@2.0.0-beta4.22272.1..2.0.2 dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- diff "*Json*" --package System.Text.Json@9.0.0..10.0.0 # Search for types by pattern (single or batch with comma-separated patterns) dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- find "*Handler*" --package System.CommandLine dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- find "Option*,Argument*,Command*" --package System.CommandLine --terse # Find extension methods for a type dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- extensions HttpClient --framework runtime dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- extensions HttpClient --framework runtime --reachable # Find types implementing an interface or extending a class dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- implements IDisposable --framework runtime dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- implements Stream --framework runtime # Package metadata and versions dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- package System.Text.Json dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- package System.Text.Json --versions # Get XML documentation for a type dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- api Option --package System.CommandLine --docs
Key Flags
| Flag | Purpose | Commands |
|---|---|---|
-v:d | Detailed output (full signatures, more info) | all commands |
--docs | Include XML documentation from source | api |
-m Name | Filter to specific member(s) | api |
-t Name | Filter to specific type(s), supports globs | diff |
-n 10 | Limit results | find, extensions, package --versions |
--terse | Compact output (alias for --oneline --grouped) | find |
--oneline | Space-separated type names on one line | find |
--name-only | Show only names, one per line | find, diff |
--stat | Show only statistics (no member details) | diff |
--breaking | Show only breaking changes | diff |
--additive | Show only additive changes | diff |
--grouped | Group results by pattern (with --oneline) | find |
--reachable | Include extensions on reachable types | extensions |
--prerelease | Include prerelease versions | package --versions |
Signatures include params and default values — you can determine calling conventions directly from output:
void .ctor(string name, params string[] aliases), Parse(args, configuration = null)
Generic types: Use quotes around generic types: 'Option<T>', 'IEnumerable<T>'
Diff supports globs and whole-package comparison: Omit the type name to see all changes across a package version range. Use glob patterns like "*Writer*" to filter.
Command Reference
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
api <type> | Start here. Public API surface (table format, or --tree for hierarchy) |
diff | Compare API surfaces between package versions (whole-package or filtered) |
find <pattern> | Search for types across packages, assemblies, or frameworks |
extensions <type> | Find extension methods for a type |
implements <type> | Find types implementing an interface or extending a class |
package <name> | Package metadata, files, versions, dependencies |
assembly <path> | Assembly info, SourceLink/determinism audit |
llmstxt | Complete usage examples for all commands |
Full Documentation
For comprehensive examples and edge cases:
bash
dnx dotnet-inspect -y -- llmstxt
When to Use This Skill
- •Exploring what types/APIs a NuGet package provides
- •Searching for types by pattern across packages or frameworks
- •Finding types that implement an interface or extend a base class
- •Understanding method signatures and overloads
- •Comparing API changes between package versions
- •Auditing assemblies for SourceLink and determinism
- •Finding types matching a pattern (
--filter "Progress*") - •Getting documentation from source (
--docs)