Dotnet Upgrade

.NET Upgrade Collection

.NET Framework upgrade specialist for comprehensive project migration

Tags: dotnet, upgrade, migration, framework, modernization

Collection Usage

.NET Upgrade Chat Mode

Discover and plan your .NET upgrade journey!

---
mode: dotnet-upgrade
title: Analyze current .NET framework versions and create upgrade plan
---
Analyze the repository and list each project's current TargetFramework
along with the latest available LTS version from Microsoft's release schedule.
Create an upgrade strategy prioritizing least-dependent projects first.

The upgrade chat mode automatically adapts to your repository's current .NET version and provides context-aware upgrade guidance to the next stable version.

It will help you:

• Auto-detect current .NET versions across all projects

• Generate optimal upgrade sequences

• Identify breaking changes and modernization opportunities

• Create per-project upgrade flows

.NET Upgrade Instructions

Execute comprehensive .NET framework upgrades with structured guidance!

The instructions provide:

• Sequential upgrade strategies

• Dependency analysis and sequencing

• Framework targeting and code adjustments

• NuGet and dependency management

• CI/CD pipeline updates

• Testing and validation procedures

Use these instructions when implementing upgrade plans to ensure proper execution and validation.

.NET Upgrade Prompts

Quick access to specialized upgrade analysis prompts!

The prompts collection includes ready-to-use queries for:

• Project discovery and assessment

• Upgrade strategy and sequencing

• Framework targeting and code adjustments

• Breaking change analysis

• CI/CD pipeline updates

• Final validation and delivery

Use these prompts for targeted analysis of specific upgrade aspects.

Quick Start

1. Run a discovery pass to enumerate all *.sln and *.csproj files in the repository.

2. Detect the current .NET version(s) used across projects.

3. Identify the latest available stable .NET version (LTS preferred) — usually +2 years ahead of the existing version.

4. Generate an upgrade plan to move from current → next stable version (e.g., net6.0 → net8.0, or net7.0 → net9.0).

5. Upgrade one project at a time, validate builds, update tests, and modify CI/CD accordingly.

Auto-Detect Current .NET Version

To automatically detect the current framework versions across the solution:

# 1. Check global SDKs installed
dotnet --list-sdks

# 2. Detect project-level TargetFrameworks
find . -name "*.csproj" -exec grep -H "<TargetFramework" {} \;

# 3. Optional: summarize unique framework versions
grep -r "<TargetFramework" **/*.csproj | sed 's/.*<TargetFramework>//;s/<\/TargetFramework>//' | sort | uniq

# 4. Verify runtime environment
dotnet --info | grep "Version"

Chat Prompt:

"Analyze the repository and list each project’s current TargetFramework along with the latest available LTS version from Microsoft’s release schedule."

Discovery & Analysis Commands

# List all projects
dotnet sln list

# Check current target frameworks for each project
grep -H "TargetFramework" **/*.csproj

# Check outdated packages
dotnet list <ProjectName>.csproj package --outdated

# Generate dependency graph
dotnet msbuild <ProjectName>.csproj /t:GenerateRestoreGraphFile /p:RestoreGraphOutputPath=graph.json

Chat Prompt:

"Analyze the solution and summarize each project’s current TargetFramework and suggest the appropriate next LTS upgrade version."

Classification Rules

• TargetFramework starts with netcoreapp, net5.0+, net6.0+, etc. → Modern .NET

• netstandard* → .NET Standard (migrate to current .NET version)

• net4* → .NET Framework (migrate via intermediate step to .NET 8+)

Upgrade Sequence

1. Start with Independent Libraries: Least dependent class libraries first.

2. Next: Shared components and common utilities.

3. Then: API, Web, or Function projects.

4. Finally: Tests, integration points, and pipelines.

Chat Prompt:

"Generate the optimal upgrade order for this repository, prioritizing least-dependent projects first."

Per-Project Upgrade Flow

1. Create branch: upgrade/<project>-to-<targetVersion>

2. Edit <TargetFramework> in .csproj to the suggested version (e.g., net9.0)

3. Restore & update packages:

   Copy

   dotnet restore
   dotnet list package --outdated
   dotnet add package <PackageName> --version <LatestVersion>

4. Build & test:

   Copy

   dotnet build <ProjectName>.csproj
   dotnet test <ProjectName>.Tests.csproj

5. Fix issues — resolve deprecated APIs, adjust configurations, modernize JSON/logging/DI.

6. Commit & push PR with test evidence and checklist.

Breaking Changes & Modernization

• Use .NET Upgrade Assistant for initial recommendations.

• Apply analyzers to detect obsolete APIs.

• Replace outdated SDKs (e.g., Microsoft.Azure.* → Azure.*).

• Modernize startup logic (Startup.cs → Program.cs top-level statements).

Chat Prompt:

"List deprecated or incompatible APIs when upgrading from <currentVersion> to <targetVersion> for <ProjectName>."

CI/CD Configuration Updates

Ensure pipelines use the detected target version dynamically:

Azure DevOps

- task: UseDotNet@2
  inputs:
    packageType: 'sdk'
    version: '$(TargetDotNetVersion).x'

GitHub Actions

- uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
  with:
    dotnet-version: '${{ env.TargetDotNetVersion }}.x'

Validation Checklist

• [ ] TargetFramework upgraded to next stable version

• [ ] All NuGet packages compatible and updated

• [ ] Build and test pipelines succeed locally and in CI

• [ ] Integration tests pass

• [ ] Deployed to a lower environment and verified

Branching & Rollback Strategy

• Use feature branches: upgrade/<project>-to-<targetVersion>

• Commit frequently and keep changes atomic

• If CI fails after merge, revert PR and isolate failing modules

Chat Prompt:

"Suggest a rollback and validation plan if the .NET upgrade for <ProjectName> introduces build or runtime regressions."

Automation & Scaling

• Automate upgrade detection with GitHub Actions or Azure Pipelines.

• Schedule nightly runs to check for new .NET releases via dotnet --list-sdks.

• Use agents to automatically raise PRs for outdated frameworks.

Chatmode Prompt Library

1. "List all projects with current and recommended .NET versions."

2. "Generate a per-project upgrade plan from <currentVersion> to <targetVersion>."

3. "Suggest .csproj and pipeline edits to upgrade <ProjectName>."

4. "Summarize build/test results post-upgrade for <ProjectName>."

5. "Create PR description and checklist for the upgrade."