Improve binlog failure analysis skill#121
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Pull request overview
Updates the binlog failure analysis skill/knowledge so agents rely on binlog-mcp tooling (vs ad-hoc parsing/scripts) and follow a more structured diagnostic workflow when investigating MSBuild build failures.
Changes:
- Rewrites the binlog failure analysis workflow guidance to be MCP-tool-first (load → diagnostics → project listing → evaluation/dependency inspection → targeted search).
- Adds explicit “DO NOT” guidance to avoid redundant external tooling and manual binlog parsing approaches.
- Updates compiled/embedded knowledge bundles to mirror the skill content and fixes a malformed XML snippet terminator in the style/modernization knowledge bundle.
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| src/dotnet-msbuild/skills/binlog-failure-analysis/SKILL.md | Updates the primary binlog failure analysis workflow and tool usage guidance. |
| src/dotnet-msbuild/copilot-extension/src/knowledge/style-and-modernization.lock.md | Fixes a malformed snippet terminator and adds/adjusts example content (but currently ends with a broken/truncated sample). |
| src/dotnet-msbuild/copilot-extension/src/knowledge/build-errors.lock.md | Propagates the updated binlog failure analysis guidance into the Copilot extension knowledge bundle. |
| src/dotnet-msbuild/agentic-workflows/shared/compiled/build-errors.lock.md | Propagates the updated guidance into the compiled workflow knowledge bundle. |
Comments suppressed due to low confidence (5)
src/dotnet-msbuild/skills/binlog-failure-analysis/SKILL.md:86
- The documentation states that “Binlogs embed all source files from the build”, but MSBuild binlogs typically embed project/import files (csproj/props/targets) and do not necessarily contain every source file (e.g., .cs) unless separately captured. Please reword this section to avoid implying guaranteed access to all sources, and clarify what is actually retrievable via
list_files_from_binlog/get_file_from_binlog.
This issue also appears on line 89 of the same file.
Binlogs embed all source files from the build. Use this instead of trying to extract files manually:
list_files_from_binlog — list all embedded files
get_file_from_binlog with path — retrieve the content of any embedded file
**src/dotnet-msbuild/skills/binlog-failure-analysis/SKILL.md:90**
* The text claims `get_file_from_binlog` can retrieve “.cs source … and everything else”. If the tool only exposes embedded/imported files, this is misleading. Consider narrowing the examples to files known to be embedded (e.g., .csproj, Directory.Build.props/targets, NuGet assets/props) and describe the fallback when a file is not present in the binlog.
This gives you .csproj files, .cs source, project.assets.json, Directory.Build.props, and everything else — no need for external tools.
**src/dotnet-msbuild/copilot-extension/src/knowledge/style-and-modernization.lock.md:1366**
* The “After — centralized with Directory.Build files” XML example is cut mid-element (`<ImplicitUsin`) and the file ends with a literal `[truncated]`. This leaves a broken code sample in the knowledge bundle and likely indicates a generation/truncation bug. Ensure truncation happens at a safe boundary (whole line / closed tag) or include the complete snippet.
**src/dotnet-msbuild/copilot-extension/src/knowledge/build-errors.lock.md:83**
* This knowledge bundle repeats the claim that binlogs embed “all source files from the build”, which is not generally true for MSBuild binlogs. Please soften/qualify this to avoid instructing the agent to rely on `.cs` contents being available via `get_file_from_binlog`.
Binlogs embed all source files from the build. Use this instead of trying to extract files manually:
list_files_from_binlog — list all embedded files
get_file_from_binlog with path — retrieve the content of any embedded file
src/dotnet-msbuild/agentic-workflows/shared/compiled/build-errors.lock.md:83
- Same issue as the source knowledge: the compiled prompt says binlogs embed all source files. If that is not guaranteed, this can cause the workflow agent to waste time trying to fetch non-embedded sources. Please rephrase to reflect what’s actually available via
list_files_from_binlog/get_file_from_binlog.
Binlogs embed all source files from the build. Use this instead of trying to extract files manually:
list_files_from_binlog — list all embedded files
get_file_from_binlog with path — retrieve the content of any embedded file
</details>
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Skill Validation Results
Model: claude-opus-4.6 | Judge: claude-opus-4.6 |
ViktorHofer
approved these changes
Feb 25, 2026
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