skills.rest
bytecakelake
bytecakelakeCOMMUNITY
Explore all skills by this author →
GitHub

binlog-failure-analysis

Diagnose MSBuild build failures by querying binary log files via MCP tools.

Updated Sep 22, 2026
Search Tags:#troubleshooting#MCP#diagnostics#dotnet#build failure#MSBuild#binlog
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/bytecakelake/Nurse-Scheduler --skill binlog-failure-analysis-bytecakelake
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: binlog-failure-analysis
Source: https://github.com/bytecakelake/Nurse-Scheduler/tree/main/.agents/plugins/dotnet-msbuild/skills/binlog-failure-analysis
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/bytecakelake/Nurse-Scheduler --skill binlog-failure-analysis-bytecakelake

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? MSBuild build failures are often unclear from console output alone, especially in multi-project builds with cascading errors. This Skill analyzes .binlog files to pinpoint errors, warnings, target execution order, and project evaluation data without manual log digging. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Structured binlog inspection: Query errors, warnings, MSBuild properties, items, and target execution details through the binlog MCP server instead of parsing raw text. - Embedded file retrieval: Read project files (.csproj, .props, .targets) embedded in the binlog when source files are unavailable on disk. - Text-log replay fallback: Replay the binlog to diagnostic, errors-only, and warnings-only text logs when the MCP server is unavailable. - Use Case: A CI build fails with a vague CS0246 error across dozens of projects. Provide the build.binlog file and get the failing project, the exact target that failed, and the property values that caused it. ## Quick Start Analyze the attached build.binlog file and tell me which project failed, why it failed, and which MSBuild targets were involved.

Frequently Asked Questions about binlog-failure-analysis

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I analyze an MSBuild binlog file for build errors?▼

Use the binlog MCP server tools to query the .binlog for errors, warnings, and target execution details directly. The binlog is a binary format, so never read it with cat or strings; if the MCP server is unavailable, replay it to text logs with dotnet msbuild build.binlog -fl flags.

How to generate a binlog file from a dotnet build?▼

Run dotnet build /bl:build.binlog to produce a binary log during the build. This Skill only analyzes existing binlogs; generation is a separate step handled by the binlog-generation skill.

Can I read project files from a binlog without the source code?▼

Yes, project files like .csproj, .props, .targets, and App.config can be embedded in the binlog and retrieved via MCP tools such as embedded/source file retrieval. This works even when the original files are not available on disk.

What if the binlog MCP server is not available?▼

Fall back to the text-log replay workflow: run dotnet msbuild build.binlog with -fl, -fl1, and -fl2 file logger flags to produce full.log, errors.log, and warnings.log, then search them with grep for error codes and failed targets.

When should I not use binlog failure analysis?▼

Do not use it to generate binlogs (use binlog-generation instead) or for non-MSBuild build systems. It requires an existing .binlog file produced by MSBuild or dotnet build.

Related Skills

Explore More Software Engineering Skills→
dotnetdotnet
5.1k

binlog-generation

Generate unique binary log files for MSBuild and .NET builds.

Official
Basic
siviter-xyzsiviter-xyz
21

debugging

Diagnose software defects through structured root-cause analysis and hypothesis testing.

Official
Basic
D1ssolveD1ssolve
1

binlog-failure-analysis

Diagnose MSBuild build failures by querying binary log files via MCP tools.

Community
Intermediate
eBayeBay
45

context-auditor

Audit CLAUDE.md files for fidelity and cache efficiency.

Official
Advanced