binlog-failure-analysis

by dotnet

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SKILL.md About

---
name: binlog-failure-analysis
description: "Analyze MSBuild binary logs to diagnose build failures by replaying binlogs to searchable text logs. Only activate in MSBuild/.NET build context. USE FOR: build errors that are unclear from console output, diagnosing cascading failures across multi-project builds, tracing MSBuild target execution order, investigating common errors like CS0246 (type not found), MSB4019 (imported project not found), NU1605 (package downgrade), MSB3277 (version conflicts), and ResolveProjectReferences failures. Requires an existing .binlog file. DO NOT USE FOR: generating binlogs (use binlog-generation), build performance analysis (use build-perf-diagnostics), non-MSBuild build systems. INVOKES: dotnet msbuild binlog replay, grep, cat, head, tail for log analysis."
license: MIT
---

# Analyzing MSBuild Failures with Binary Logs

Use MSBuild's built-in **binlog replay** to convert binary logs into searchable text logs, then analyze with standard tools (`grep`, `cat`, `head`, `tail`, `find`).

## Build Error Investigation (Primary Workflow)

### Step 1: Replay the binlog to text logs

Replay produces multiple focused log files in one pass:

```bash
dotnet msbuild build.binlog -noconlog \
  -fl  -flp:v=diag;logfile=full.log;performancesummary \
  -fl1 -flp1:errorsonly;logfile=errors.log \
  -fl2 -flp2:warningsonly;logfile=warnings.log
```

> **PowerShell note:** Use `-flp:"v=diag;logfile=full.log;performancesummary"` (quoted semicolons).

### Step 2: Read the errors

```bash
cat errors.log
```

This gives all errors with file paths, line numbers, error codes, and project context.

### Step 3: Search for context around specific errors

```bash
# Find all occurrences of a specific error code with surrounding context
grep -n -B2 -A2 "CS0246" full.log

# Find which projects failed to compile
grep -i "CoreCompile.*FAILED\|Build FAILED\|error MSB" full.log

# Find project build order and results
grep "done building project\|Building with" full.log | head -50
```

### Step 4: Detect cascading failures

Projects that never reached `CoreCompile` failed because a dependency failed, not their own code:

```bash
# List all projects that ran CoreCompile
grep 'Target "CoreCompile"' full.log | grep -oP 'project "[^"]*"'

# Compare against projects that had errors to identify cascading failures
grep "project.*FAILED" full.log
```

### Step 5: Examine project files for root causes

```bash
# Read the .csproj of the failing project
cat path/to/Services/Services.csproj

# Check PackageReference and ProjectReference entries
grep -n "PackageReference\|ProjectReference" path/to/Services/Services.csproj
```

**Write your diagnosis as soon as you have enough information.** Do not over-investigate.

## Additional Workflows

### Performance Investigation
```bash
# The PerformanceSummary is at the end of full.log
tail -100 full.log   # shows target/task timing summary
grep "Target Performance Summary\|Task Performance Summary" -A 50 full.log
```

## Replay reference

| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `dotnet msbuild X.binlog -noconlog -fl -flp:v=diag;logfile=full.log;performancesummary` | Full diagnostic log with perf summary |
| `dotnet msbuild X.binlog -noconlog -fl -flp:errorsonly;logfile=errors.log` | Errors only |
| `dotnet msbuild X.binlog -noconlog -fl -flp:warningsonly;logfile=warnings.log` | Warnings only |
| `grep -n "PATTERN" full.log` | Search for patterns in the replayed log |
| `dotnet msbuild -pp:preprocessed.xml Proj.csproj` | Preprocess — inline all imports into one file |

## Generating a binlog (only if none exists)

```bash
dotnet build /bl:build.binlog
```

## Common error patterns

1. **CS0246 / "type not found"** → Missing PackageReference — check the .csproj
2. **MSB4019 / "imported project not found"** → SDK install or global.json issue
3. **NU1605 / "package downgrade"** → Version conflict in package graph
4. **MSB3277 / "version conflicts"** → Binding redirect or version alignment issue
5. **Project failed at ResolveProjectReferences** → Cascading failure from a dependency