| name | dotnet-dependency |
| description | This skill should be used when investigating .NET project dependencies, understanding why packages are included, listing references, or auditing for outdated/vulnerable packages. |
| allowed-tools | Bash(dotnet nuget why:*), Bash(dotnet list:*), Bash(dotnet outdated:*), Read, Grep, Glob |
.NET Dependencies
Investigate and manage .NET project dependencies using built-in dotnet CLI commands.
When to Use This Skill
Invoke when the user needs to:
- Understand why a specific NuGet package is included
- List all project dependencies (NuGet packages or project references)
- Find outdated or vulnerable packages
- Trace transitive dependencies
Quick Reference
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
dotnet nuget why <package> |
Show dependency graph for a package |
dotnet list package |
List NuGet packages |
dotnet list package --include-transitive |
Include transitive dependencies |
dotnet list reference --project <project> |
List project-to-project references |
dotnet list package --outdated |
Find packages with newer versions |
dotnet list package --vulnerable |
Find packages with security issues |
dotnet outdated |
(Third-party) Check outdated packages |
dotnet outdated -u |
(Third-party) Auto-update packages |
Investigate Package Dependencies
To understand why a package is included in your project:
# Why is this package included?
dotnet nuget why Newtonsoft.Json
# For a specific project
dotnet nuget why path/to/Project.csproj Newtonsoft.Json
# For a specific framework
dotnet nuget why Newtonsoft.Json --framework net8.0
Output shows the complete dependency chain from your project to the package.
List NuGet Packages
# Direct dependencies only
dotnet list package
# Include transitive (indirect) dependencies
dotnet list package --include-transitive
# For a specific project
dotnet list package --project path/to/Project.csproj
# JSON output for scripting
dotnet list package --format json
List Project References
# List project-to-project references
dotnet list reference --project path/to/Project.csproj
Transitive Project References
No built-in command shows transitive project dependencies. To find if Project A depends on Project B transitively:
- Recursive approach: Run
dotnet list referenceon each referenced project - Parse .csproj files: Search for
<ProjectReference>elements recursively:
# Find all ProjectReference elements
grep -r "ProjectReference" --include="*.csproj" .
Update Dependencies
Using dotnet outdated (Third-party)
If installed (dotnet tool install -g dotnet-outdated-tool):
# Check for outdated packages
dotnet outdated
# Auto-update to latest versions
dotnet outdated -u
# Update only specific packages
dotnet outdated -u -inc PackageName
Using built-in commands
# Check for outdated packages
dotnet list package --outdated
# Include prerelease versions
dotnet list package --outdated --include-prerelease
Progressive Disclosure
For security auditing (vulnerable, deprecated, outdated packages), load references/security-audit.md.