dotnet

.NET Router Skill

Trigger On

• the user asks for general .NET help without naming a narrower framework or tool
• implementing, debugging, reviewing, or refactoring C# or .NET code in a repo with multiple app models or frameworks
• deciding which .NET skill should own a task before editing code
• tasks that combine platform work with testing, quality, architecture, setup, or migration decisions

Workflow

1. Detect the real stack first:
   • target frameworks and SDK version
   • LangVersion
   • project SDKs and workload hints
   • hosting model and app entry points
   • test framework and runner
   • analyzers, formatters, coverage, and CI quality gates
2. Route to the narrowest platform skill as soon as the stack is known:
   • Web: dotnet-aspnet-core, dotnet-minimal-apis, dotnet-web-api, dotnet-blazor, dotnet-signalr, dotnet-grpc
   • Cloud and hosting: dotnet-aspire, dotnet-azure-functions, dotnet-worker-services
   • Desktop and client: dotnet-maui, dotnet-wpf, dotnet-winforms, dotnet-winui
   • Data and distributed: dotnet-entity-framework-core, dotnet-entity-framework6, dotnet-orleans
   • AI and agentic: dotnet-semantic-kernel, dotnet-microsoft-extensions-ai, dotnet-microsoft-agent-framework, dotnet-mlnet, dotnet-mixed-reality
   • Legacy: dotnet-legacy-aspnet, dotnet-wcf, dotnet-workflow-foundation
3. Route cross-cutting work to the companion skill instead of keeping it inside generic .NET advice:
   • project bootstrap or repo shape: dotnet-project-setup, dotnet-architecture
   • frontend asset analysis in mixed .NET plus Node repos: dotnet-eslint, dotnet-stylelint, dotnet-htmlhint, dotnet-webhint, dotnet-biome, dotnet-sonarjs, dotnet-metalint, dotnet-chous
   • code review: dotnet-code-review
   • language features: dotnet-modern-csharp
   • testing: dotnet-tunit, dotnet-xunit, dotnet-mstest
   • format, analyzers, coverage, and CI: dotnet-format, dotnet-code-analysis, dotnet-quality-ci, dotnet-coverlet, dotnet-reportgenerator
   • maintainability and architecture rules: dotnet-complexity, dotnet-netarchtest, dotnet-archunitnet
4. If more than one specialized skill applies, prefer the one closest to the user-visible behavior first, then pull in the quality or tooling skill second.
5. Do not stop at this skill once a narrower match exists. This skill should classify and hand off, not become a generic dumping ground.
6. After code changes, validate with the repository's actual build, test, and quality workflow instead of generic .NET commands.

Routing Heuristics

• If the repo contains Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web, start from a web skill, not generic .NET.
• If the repo contains Blazor, Razor Components, or .razor pages, prefer dotnet-blazor.
• If the repo contains package.json, frontend lint configs, or browser-facing asset pipelines inside the .NET solution, prefer the dedicated frontend analysis skills instead of generic .NET.
• If the repo contains Orleans grains or silo hosting, prefer dotnet-orleans.
• If the repo is mostly analyzers, CI, or coverage work, prefer the quality skill directly.
• If the user asks about “which skill should I use?”, answer with the narrowest matching skill and explain why in one short sentence.
• If no narrower skill matches, keep the work here and stay explicit about the missing specialization.

Deliver

• the correct specialized skill choice for the task
• repo-compatible code or documentation changes that stay aligned with the detected stack
• validation evidence that matches the real project runner and quality toolchain

Validate

• the chosen downstream skill actually exists in the catalog
• platform assumptions match project SDKs, packages, and workloads
• generic guidance has been replaced by framework-specific guidance whenever possible
• runner-specific commands are not mixed incorrectly
• language or runtime features are only used when the repo supports them

Documentation

References

• references/routing.md - Decision tree for routing tasks to specialized .NET skills, including app model classification and cross-cutting concern handling.
• references/detection.md - Project detection patterns for identifying SDK types, target frameworks, workloads, language versions, and app models.