
Dotnet Upgrade
OfficialFreeStreamline your .NET framework upgrade process with ready-to-use prompts.
Free · Opens the source repo
What Dotnet Upgrade does
The Dotnet Upgrade skill provides a comprehensive set of prompts designed to assist developers in analyzing and executing upgrades across .NET projects. With a focus on project discovery and assessment, users can classify projects by type, review dependencies for compatibility, and identify legacy packages that require migration. This initial analysis sets the stage for a structured upgrade strategy, allowing for recommended project ordering and incremental upgrade planning.
As the upgrade process continues, the skill offers guidance on selecting appropriate target frameworks and modernizing code. It identifies deprecated APIs and suggests replacements, ensuring that projects remain up-to-date with the latest .NET standards. Additionally, it addresses NuGet package management by analyzing compatibility and suggesting alternatives for outdated libraries, which is critical for maintaining project stability.
The skill also emphasizes the importance of CI/CD pipeline updates, providing prompts to analyze build configurations and modernize pipeline setups for .NET 8. This includes recommendations for automation in CI processes, ensuring that builds and tests are validated efficiently. Testing and validation strategies are also covered, from build validation checks to deployment readiness assessments, helping teams ensure a smooth transition to upgraded solutions.
Finally, the Dotnet Upgrade skill includes features for version control and documentation, offering advice on branching strategies, PR structuring, and stakeholder communication. This holistic approach makes it an invaluable resource for teams looking to upgrade their .NET applications systematically and effectively.
When to use it
Use this skill when planning a .NET framework upgrade to ensure a systematic and thorough approach to project analysis and execution.
When not to use it
This skill may not be suitable for projects that do not require upgrades or for teams looking for a one-size-fits-all solution without customization.
What you can build with it
Assessing Project Compatibility
Use the skill to classify projects in your solution by type and analyze their current framework compatibility.
Planning Incremental Upgrades
Leverage the skill to propose an incremental upgrade strategy, ensuring minimal disruption during the upgrade process.
Validating CI/CD Pipelines
Utilize the skill to analyze and modernize your CI/CD pipelines, ensuring they are compatible with .NET 8 and optimized for automation.
How to install Dotnet Upgrade
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add github/awesome-copilot/dotnet-upgrade --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by githubProject Discovery & Assessment
-
name: "Project Classification Analysis" prompt: "Identify all projects in the solution and classify them by type (
.NET Framework,.NET Core,.NET Standard). Analyze each.csprojfor its currentTargetFrameworkand SDK usage." -
name: "Dependency Compatibility Review" prompt: "Review external and internal dependencies for framework compatibility. Determine the upgrade complexity based on dependency graph depth."
-
name: "Legacy Package Detection" prompt: "Identify legacy
packages.configprojects needing migration toPackageReferenceformat."
Upgrade Strategy & Sequencing
-
name: "Project Upgrade Ordering" prompt: "Recommend a project upgrade order from least to most dependent components. Suggest how to isolate class library upgrades before API or Azure Function migrations."
-
name: "Incremental Strategy Planning" prompt: "Propose an incremental upgrade strategy with rollback checkpoints. Evaluate the use of Upgrade Assistant or manual upgrades based on project structure."
-
name: "Progress Tracking Setup" prompt: "Generate an upgrade checklist for tracking build, test, and deployment readiness across all projects."
Framework Targeting & Code Adjustments
-
name: "Target Framework Selection" prompt: "Suggest the correct
TargetFrameworkfor each project (e.g.,net8.0). Review and update deprecated SDK or build configurations." -
name: "Code Modernization Analysis" prompt: "Identify code patterns needing modernization (e.g.,
WebHostBuilder→HostBuilder). Suggest replacements for deprecated .NET APIs and third-party libraries." -
name: "Async Pattern Conversion" prompt: "Recommend conversion of synchronous calls to async where appropriate for improved performance and scalability."
NuGet & Dependency Management
-
name: "Package Compatibility Analysis" prompt: "Analyze outdated or incompatible NuGet packages and suggest compatible versions. Identify third-party libraries that lack .NET 8 support and provide migration paths."
-
name: "Shared Dependency Strategy" prompt: "Recommend strategies for handling shared dependency upgrades across projects. Evaluate usage of legacy packages and suggest alternatives in Microsoft-supported namespaces."
-
name: "Transitive Dependency Review" prompt: "Review transitive dependencies and potential version conflicts after upgrade. Suggest resolution strategies for dependency conflicts."
CI/CD & Build Pipeline Updates
-
name: "Pipeline Configuration Analysis" prompt: "Analyze YAML build definitions for SDK version pinning and recommend updates. Suggest modifications for
UseDotNet@2andNuGetToolInstallertasks." -
name: "Build Pipeline Modernization" prompt: "Generate updated build pipeline snippets for .NET 8 migration. Recommend validation builds on feature branches before merging to main."
-
name: "CI Automation Enhancement" prompt: "Identify opportunities to automate test and build verification in CI pipelines. Suggest strategies for continuous integration validation."
Testing & Validation
-
name: "Build Validation Strategy" prompt: "Propose validation checks to ensure the upgraded solution builds and runs successfully. Recommend automated test execution for unit and integration suites post-upgrade."
-
name: "Service Integration Verification" prompt: "Generate validation steps to verify logging, telemetry, and service connectivity. Suggest strategies for verifying backward compatibility and runtime behavior."
-
name: "Deployment Readiness Check" prompt: "Recommend UAT deployment verification steps before production rollout. Create comprehensive testing scenarios for upgraded components."
Breaking Change Analysis
-
name: "API Deprecation Detection" prompt: "Identify deprecated APIs or removed namespaces between target versions. Suggest automated scanning using
.NET Upgrade Assistantand API Analyzer." -
name: "API Replacement Strategy" prompt: "Recommend replacement APIs or libraries for known breaking areas. Review configuration changes such as
Startup.cs→Program.csrefactoring." -
name: "Regression Testing Focus" prompt: "Suggest regression testing scenarios focused on upgraded API endpoints or services. Create test plans for critical functionality validation."
Version Control & Commit Strategy
-
name: "Branching Strategy Planning" prompt: "Recommend branching strategy for safe upgrade with rollback capability. Generate commit templates for partial and complete project upgrades."
-
name: "PR Structure Optimization" prompt: "Suggest best practices for creating structured PRs (
Upgrade to .NET [Version]). Identify tagging strategies for PRs involving breaking changes." -
name: "Code Review Guidelines" prompt: "Recommend peer review focus areas (build, test, and dependency validation). Create checklists for effective upgrade reviews."
Documentation & Communication
-
name: "Upgrade Documentation Strategy" prompt: "Suggest how to document each project's framework change in the PR. Propose automated release note generation summarizing upgrades and test results."
-
name: "Stakeholder Communication" prompt: "Recommend communicating version upgrades and migration timelines to consumers. Generate documentation templates for dependency updates and validation results."
-
name: "Progress Tracking Systems" prompt: "Suggest maintaining an upgrade summary dashboard or markdown checklist. Create templates for tracking upgrade progress across multiple projects."
Tools & Automation
-
name: "Upgrade Tool Selection" prompt: "Recommend when and how to use:
.NET Upgrade Assistant,dotnet list package --outdated,dotnet migrate, andgraph.jsondependency visualization." -
name: "Analysis Script Generation" prompt: "Generate scripts or prompts for analyzing dependency graphs before upgrading. Propose AI-assisted prompts for Copilot to identify upgrade issues automatically."
-
name: "Multi-Repository Validation" prompt: "Suggest how to validate automation output across multiple repositories. Create standardized validation workflows for enterprise-scale upgrades."
Final Validation & Delivery
-
name: "Final Solution Validation" prompt: "Generate validation steps to confirm the final upgraded solution passes all validation checks. Suggest production deployment verification steps post-upgrade."
-
name: "Deployment Readiness Confirmation" prompt: "Recommend generating final test results and build artifacts. Create a checklist summarizing completion across projects (builds/tests/deployment)."
-
name: "Release Documentation" prompt: "Generate a release note summarizing framework changes and CI/CD updates. Create comprehensive upgrade summary documentation."
Frequently asked questions about Dotnet Upgrade
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