What should I do if a method or type isn't found?

Use microsoft_docs_search to verify the method and namespace, then microsoft_docs_fetch to see overloads and ensure existence.

How do I obtain a working code sample for comparison?

Use microsoft_code_sample_search with your task and language to get official, working samples, then compare to your implementation.

What is the recommended verification flow before coding?

Follow the Validation Workflow: confirm method/package exists with a search, fetch full details for overloads, and find a working sample in your language.

microsoft-code-reference

Scanned

npx machina-cli add skill MicrosoftDocs/mcp/microsoft-code-reference --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

3.3 KB

Microsoft Code Reference

Tools

Need	Tool	Example
API method/class lookup	`microsoft_docs_search`	`"BlobClient UploadAsync Azure.Storage.Blobs"`
Working code sample	`microsoft_code_sample_search`	`query: "upload blob managed identity", language: "python"`
Full API reference	`microsoft_docs_fetch`	Fetch URL from `microsoft_docs_search` (for overloads, full signatures)

Finding Code Samples

Use microsoft_code_sample_search to get official, working examples:

microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "upload file to blob storage", language: "csharp")
microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "authenticate with managed identity", language: "python")
microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "send message service bus", language: "javascript")

When to use:

Before writing code—find a working pattern to follow
After errors—compare your code against a known-good sample
Unsure of initialization/setup—samples show complete context

API Lookups

# Verify method exists (include namespace for precision)
"BlobClient UploadAsync Azure.Storage.Blobs"
"GraphServiceClient Users Microsoft.Graph"

# Find class/interface
"DefaultAzureCredential class Azure.Identity"

# Find correct package
"Azure Blob Storage NuGet package"
"azure-storage-blob pip package"

Fetch full page when method has multiple overloads or you need complete parameter details.

Error Troubleshooting

Use microsoft_code_sample_search to find working code samples and compare with your implementation. For specific errors, use microsoft_docs_search and microsoft_docs_fetch:

Error Type	Query
Method not found	`"[ClassName] methods [Namespace]"`
Type not found	`"[TypeName] NuGet package namespace"`
Wrong signature	`"[ClassName] [MethodName] overloads"` → fetch full page
Deprecated warning	`"[OldType] migration v12"`
Auth failure	`"DefaultAzureCredential troubleshooting"`
403 Forbidden	`"[ServiceName] RBAC permissions"`

When to Verify

Always verify when:

Method name seems "too convenient" (UploadFile vs actual Upload)
Mixing SDK versions (v11 CloudBlobClient vs v12 BlobServiceClient)
Package name doesn't follow conventions (Azure.* for .NET, azure-* for Python)
Using an API for the first time

Validation Workflow

Before generating code using Microsoft SDKs, verify it's correct:

Confirm method or package exists — microsoft_docs_search(query: "[ClassName] [MethodName] [Namespace]")
Fetch full details (for overloads/complex params) — microsoft_docs_fetch(url: "...")
Find working sample — microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "[task]", language: "[lang]")

For simple lookups, step 1 alone may suffice. For complex API usage, complete all three steps.

Source

git clone https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/skills/microsoft-code-reference/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

This skill helps you locate official Microsoft API references, discover working code samples, and verify SDK usage for Azure SDKs, .NET libraries, and other Microsoft APIs. It helps you confirm method signatures, parameters, and patterns directly from docs to avoid hallucinations and deprecated APIs.

How This Skill Works

Use three tools in sequence: microsoft_docs_search to verify a method or class (including the namespace for precision); microsoft_code_sample_search to locate official, working samples; and microsoft_docs_fetch to pull the full API details or overloads. Compare your implementation against vetted samples to ensure correct usage and parameter accuracy.

When to Use It

Before writing code—find a working pattern to follow
After errors—compare your code against a known-good sample
Unsure of initialization/setup—samples show complete context
Verifying overloads or API changes across SDK versions
Troubleshooting a missing method, wrong signature, or deprecated API

Quick Start

Step 1: Run microsoft_docs_search(query: "[ClassName] [MethodName] [Namespace]")
Step 2: If needed, run microsoft_docs_fetch(url: "...") to view overloads and full parameters
Step 3: Run microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "[task]", language: "[lang]") to obtain a working sample and compare with your code

Best Practices

Confirm the method or package exists with microsoft_docs_search before coding
Fetch full overload details with microsoft_docs_fetch when needed
Find a working sample with microsoft_code_sample_search in your language
Cross-check language-specific package naming conventions (Azure.* for .NET, azure-* for Python) and version compatibility
Use error-troubleshooting queries to diagnose method not found, wrong signature, or auth issues

Example Use Cases

Verify the BlobClient UploadAsync signature in Azure.Storage.Blobs
Find a working C# sample to upload a file to blob storage
Authenticate with managed identity in Python using a sample
Look up GraphServiceClient Users in Microsoft.Graph to see usage
Fetch full API details for a method overload

Frequently Asked Questions

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