microsoft-code-reference
Look up Microsoft API references, find working code samples, and verify SDK code is correct. Use when working with Azure SDKs, .NET libraries, or Microsoft APIs—to find the right method, check parameters, get working examples, or troubleshoot errors. Catches hallucinated methods, wrong signatures, and deprecated patterns by querying official docs.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Microsoft Code Reference skill empowers developers to interact accurately with the Microsoft ecosystem by providing direct access to official API documentation and verified code samples. It effectively eliminates AI hallucinations regarding method signatures, deprecated patterns, and SDK usage, ensuring that code written for Azure, .NET, and Microsoft Graph is both current and functional.
Use Cases
- Verifying API method signatures and parameter details for Azure SDKs and .NET libraries to ensure code accuracy and prevent runtime errors.
- Retrieving official, production-ready code samples for complex tasks such as Managed Identity authentication or cloud resource management across multiple languages.
- Troubleshooting 'method not found' or 'deprecated' errors by cross-referencing implementation against the latest real-time Microsoft Learn documentation.
- Identifying the correct NuGet, Pip, or NPM packages and namespaces required for specific Microsoft services to streamline project setup.
| name | microsoft-code-reference |
|---|---|
| description | Look up Microsoft API references, find working code samples, and verify SDK code is correct. Use when working with Azure SDKs, .NET libraries, or Microsoft APIs—to find the right method, check parameters, get working examples, or troubleshoot errors. Catches hallucinated methods, wrong signatures, and deprecated patterns by querying official docs. |
| compatibility | Requires Microsoft Learn MCP Server (https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp) |
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" (
UploadFilevs actualUpload) - Mixing SDK versions (v11
CloudBlobClientvs v12BlobServiceClient) - 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.