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dotnet-upgrade

github/awesome-copilot

Ready-to-use prompts for analyzing and executing comprehensive .NET framework upgrades across multi-project solutions.

What is dotnet-upgrade?

This skill provides a structured set of prompts for planning and executing .NET framework upgrades, from initial project assessment through final validation. Use it when upgrading solutions to newer .NET versions (e.g., .NET 8) to systematically address dependencies, code modernization, CI/CD pipelines, and testing.

  • Classify projects by type and analyze current target frameworks and SDK usage
  • Review external and internal dependencies for compatibility and identify legacy package formats
  • Recommend project upgrade ordering and incremental migration strategies with rollback checkpoints
  • Suggest target frameworks and identify code patterns requiring modernization (e.g., WebHostBuilder to HostBuilder)
  • Analyze NuGet packages for compatibility and provide migration paths for unsupported libraries
  • Generate updated CI/CD pipeline configurations for new .NET versions

How to install dotnet-upgrade

npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill dotnet-upgrade
Claude Code
Cursor
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How to use dotnet-upgrade

  1. 1.Identify your current .NET version and target version for the upgrade
  2. 2.Use the Project Classification Analysis prompt to inventory all projects and their current frameworks
  3. 3.Run the Dependency Compatibility Review and Legacy Package Detection prompts to assess upgrade complexity
  4. 4.Apply the Project Upgrade Ordering prompt to determine safe migration sequence
  5. 5.Use the Target Framework Selection and Code Modernization Analysis prompts to plan code changes
  6. 6.Run Package Compatibility Analysis and Transitive Dependency Review for NuGet updates
  7. 7.Generate updated CI/CD pipeline configurations using the Pipeline Configuration Analysis prompts
  8. 8.Create validation and testing strategies using the Build Validation and Regression Testing prompts

Use cases

Good for
  • Planning a multi-project solution upgrade from .NET Framework to .NET 8 with dependency analysis
  • Identifying and migrating legacy packages.config projects to PackageReference format
  • Generating incremental upgrade checklists and progress tracking across teams
  • Analyzing transitive dependencies and resolving version conflicts post-upgrade
  • Creating structured pull requests and code review guidelines for framework upgrades
Who it's for
  • Backend engineers managing multi-project .NET solutions
  • DevOps engineers updating CI/CD pipelines for new framework versions
  • Technical leads planning enterprise-scale framework migrations
  • QA teams designing regression testing strategies for upgraded applications

dotnet-upgrade FAQ

What .NET versions does this skill support?

The skill provides prompts for upgrading to any .NET version, with specific examples for .NET 8. It covers migrations from .NET Framework, .NET Core, and .NET Standard to modern .NET versions.

Can this skill handle multi-project solutions?

Yes. The skill includes prompts for project classification, dependency analysis, and upgrade ordering specifically designed for solutions with multiple interdependent projects.

Does this skill automate the upgrade process?

No. This skill provides structured prompts and analysis guidance. It recommends tools like .NET Upgrade Assistant and dotnet CLI commands but requires manual execution and code review.

How does this handle breaking changes?

The skill includes dedicated prompts for API deprecation detection, breaking change analysis, and regression testing focus to identify and address breaking changes systematically.

Can this help with CI/CD pipeline updates?

Yes. The skill includes prompts for analyzing YAML build definitions, recommending SDK version updates, and generating modernized pipeline configurations for new .NET versions.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from github/awesome-copilot.


name: dotnet-upgrade description: 'Ready-to-use prompts for comprehensive .NET framework upgrade analysis and execution'

Project 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 .csproj for its current TargetFramework and 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.config projects needing migration to PackageReference format."

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 TargetFramework for 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., WebHostBuilderHostBuilder). 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@2 and NuGetToolInstaller tasks."

  • 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 Assistant and API Analyzer."

  • name: "API Replacement Strategy" prompt: "Recommend replacement APIs or libraries for known breaking areas. Review configuration changes such as Startup.csProgram.cs refactoring."

  • 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, and graph.json dependency 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."