Tool Architecture v1.0.0

graphify-dotnet

Use `graphify-dotnet` to generate codebase knowledge graphs, architecture snapshots, and exportable repository maps from .NET or polyglot source trees, with optional AI-enriched semantic relationships.

Trigger On

  • graphify, graphify run, graphify watch, graphify benchmark, or graphify config
  • generating graph.json, graph.html, graph.svg, graph.cypher, GRAPH_REPORT.md, obsidian/, or wiki/
  • building onboarding maps, architecture snapshots, or dependency-discovery artifacts from a repository
  • choosing between AST-only extraction and AI-enriched semantic extraction
  • pushing graph output into Neo4j, Obsidian, wiki docs, or CI artifacts

Workflow

  1. Confirm the problem is structural discovery, architecture review, onboarding, or graph export. If the user only needs one symbol lookup, one bug fix, or one dependency trace, normal repo search and tests are cheaper than a full graph run.
  2. Install and verify the tool before doing anything else:

``bash dotnet --version dotnet tool install -g graphify-dotnet graphify --version ``

  1. Start with a bounded AST-only run so the first output is fast and deterministic:

``bash graphify run ./src --format json,html,report --provider none --verbose ``

  1. Review outputs in this order:

- GRAPH_REPORT.md for quick signal - graph.html for visual exploration - graph.json for scripting and downstream tooling

  1. Add AI enrichment only when inferred relationships or conceptual grouping matter more than strict syntax-only structure.
  2. Expand export formats for the real consumer:

- svg for static docs and PRs - neo4j for graph queries - obsidian,wiki for knowledge-base or onboarding flows

  1. Use watch for iterative architecture work, but rerun a clean run periodically because deletes and renames can leave stale references behind.
  2. Run benchmark only after you already trust the generated graph.json; its value is comparative token-reduction evidence, not billing-grade accounting.

Deliver

  • a justified choice of AST-only vs AI-enriched extraction
  • concrete graphify commands for the repo, folder, or output consumer
  • the right export-format set for humans, docs, scripts, or graph databases
  • configuration guidance that fits the chosen provider and operating model
  • a validation path for the produced graph artifacts

Validate

  • dotnet --version shows a .NET 10 SDK
  • graphify --version resolves after installation
  • graphify run <path> --format json,html,report -v completes without provider or path errors
  • the output folder contains the expected artifacts for the selected formats
  • graphify config show reflects the intended provider configuration when AI enrichment is enabled
  • graphify benchmark <graph.json> runs only after a real graph file exists

Load References

Related skills

Use the open-source free `ArchUnitNET` library for architecture rules in .NET tests.

ArchUnitNETArchUnitNET.xUnitArchUnitNET.NUnit+1

Use the open-source free `NetArchTest.Rules` library for architecture rules in .NET unit tests.

NetArchTest.RulesNetArchTest.eNhancedEdition

Apply MCAF documentation guidance for docs structure, navigation, source-of-truth placement, and writing quality.