microsoft-code-reference
Search and reference Microsoft code samples and SDK documentation
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Microsoft Code Reference skill enables developers to efficiently search, fetch, and reference official Microsoft SDK documentation and working code samples. It streamlines the development process by providing instant access to API method signatures, class definitions, and implementation patterns for Azure, .NET, and Microsoft Graph, significantly reducing the time spent on manual documentation lookups.
Use Cases
- Discovering and implementing official code samples for Azure services such as Blob Storage, Service Bus, and Managed Identity across multiple languages.
- Verifying API method signatures and overloads to ensure correct implementation and avoid common 'method not found' errors during development.
- Identifying the correct NuGet, npm, or pip packages and namespaces required for specific Microsoft libraries and SDK versions.
- Troubleshooting integration issues by comparing local code against verified, working examples and official migration guides for deprecated APIs.
| name | microsoft-code-reference |
|---|---|
| description | Search and reference Microsoft code samples and SDK documentation |
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.