MCPInstall

winmd-api-search

Find and explore Windows desktop APIs. Use when building features that need platform capabilities — camera, file access, notifications, UI controls, AI/ML, sensors, networking, etc. Discovers the right API for a task and retrieves full type details (methods, properties, events, enumeration values).

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill winmd-api-search
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads winmd-api-search automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

Security audits

Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.

Gen Agent Trust Hub PassSAFE ·The winmd-api-search skill is a developer utility designed to index and query Windows API metadata from the Platform SDK and NuGet packages. It facilitates the discovery of platform capabilities for application development. The skill builds a local C# tool to perform indexing and uses standard PowerShell scripts for querying the resulting JSON cache. No malicious patterns, data exfiltration, or safety bypasses were detected.
Socket PassNo alerts
Snyk PassLOW ·Risk: LOW · No issues
Runlayer WarnMEDIUM ·5/9 files flagged
ZeroLeaks PassNONE ·Score: 93/100 · 2 sections analyzed

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

WinMD API Search

This skill helps you find the right Windows API for any capability and get its full details. It searches a local cache of all WinMD metadata from:

  • Windows Platform SDK — all Windows.* WinRT APIs (always available, no restore needed)
  • WinAppSDK / WinUI — bundled as a baseline in the cache generator (always available, no restore needed)
  • NuGet packages — any additional packages in restored projects that contain .winmd files
  • Project-output WinMD — class libraries (C++/WinRT, C#) that produce .winmd as build output

Even on a fresh clone with no restore or build, you still get full Platform SDK + WinAppSDK coverage.

When to Use This Skill

  • User wants to build a feature and you need to find which API provides that capability
  • User asks "how do I do X?" where X involves a platform feature (camera, files, notifications, sensors, AI, etc.)
  • You need the exact methods, properties, events, or enumeration values of a type before writing code
  • You're unsure which control, class, or interface to use for a UI or system task

Prerequisites

  • .NET SDK 8.0 or later — required to build the cache generator. Install from dotnet.microsoft.com if not available.

Cache Setup (Required Before First Use)

All query and search commands read from a local JSON cache. You must generate the cache before running any queries.

# All projects in the repo (recommended for first run)
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Update-WinMdCache.ps1

# Single project
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Update-WinMdCache.ps1 -ProjectDir <project-folder>

No project restore or build is needed for baseline coverage (Platform SDK + WinAppSDK). For additional NuGet packages, the project needs dotnet restore (which generates project.assets.json) or a packages.config file.

Cache is stored at Generated Files\winmd-cache\, deduplicated per-package+version.

What gets indexed

SourceWhen available
Windows Platform SDKAlways (reads from local SDK install)
WinAppSDK (latest)Always (bundled as baseline in cache generator)
WinAppSDK RuntimeWhen installed on the system (detected via Get-AppxPackage)
Project NuGet packagesAfter dotnet restore or with packages.config
Project-output .winmdAfter project build (class libraries that produce WinMD)

Note: This cache directory should be in .gitignore — it's generated, not source.

How to Use

Pick the path that matches the situation:


Discover — "I don't know which API to use"

The user describes a capability in their own words. You need to find the right API.

0. Ensure the cache exists

If the cache hasn't been generated yet, run Update-WinMdCache.ps1 first — see Cache Setup above.

1. Translate user language → search keywords

Map the user's daily language to programming terms. Try multiple variations:

User saysSearch keywords to try (in order)
"take a picture"camera, capture, photo, MediaCapture
"load from disk"file open, picker, FileOpen, StorageFile
"describe what's in it"image description, Vision, Recognition
"show a popup"dialog, flyout, popup, ContentDialog
"drag and drop"drag, drop, DragDrop
"save settings"settings, ApplicationData, LocalSettings

Start with simple everyday words. If results are weak or irrelevant, try the more technical variation.

2. Run searches

.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action search -Query "<keyword>"

This returns ranked namespaces with top matching types and the JSON file path.

If results have low scores (below 60) or are irrelevant, fall back to searching online documentation:

  1. Use web search to find the right API on Microsoft Learn, for example:
    • site:learn.microsoft.com/uwp/api <capability keywords> for Windows.* APIs
    • site:learn.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt <capability keywords> for Microsoft.* WinAppSDK APIs
  2. Read the documentation pages to identify which type matches the user's requirement.
  3. Once you know the type name, come back and use -Action members or -Action enums to get the exact local signatures.

3. Read the JSON to choose the right API

Read the file at the path(s) from the top results. The JSON has all types in that namespace — full members, signatures, parameters, return types, enumeration values.

Read and decide which types and members fit the user's requirement.

4. Look up official documentation for context

The cache contains only signatures — no descriptions or usage guidance. For explanations, examples, and remarks, look up the type on Microsoft Learn:

Namespace prefixDocumentation base URL
Windows.*https://learn.microsoft.com/uwp/api/{fully.qualified.typename}
Microsoft.* (WinAppSDK)https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/{fully.qualified.typename}

For example, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.NavigationView maps to: https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/microsoft.ui.xaml.controls.navigationview

5. Use the API knowledge to answer or write code


Lookup — "I know the API, show me the details"

You already know (or suspect) the type or namespace name. Go direct:

# Get all members of a known type
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action members -TypeName "Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.NavigationView"

# Get enum values
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action enums -TypeName "Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Visibility"

# List all types in a namespace
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action types -Namespace "Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls"

# Browse namespaces
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action namespaces -Filter "Microsoft.UI"

If you need full detail beyond what -Action members shows, use -Action search to get the JSON file path, then read the JSON file directly.


Other Commands

# List cached projects
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action projects

# List packages for a project
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action packages

# Show stats
.\.github\skills\winmd-api-search\scripts\Invoke-WinMdQuery.ps1 -Action stats

If only one project is cached, -Project is auto-selected. If multiple projects exist, add -Project <name> (use -Action projects to see available names). In scan mode, manifest names include a short hash suffix to avoid collisions; you can pass the base project name without the suffix if it's unambiguous.

Search Scoring

The search ranks type names and member names against your query:

ScoreMatch typeExample
100Exact nameButton → Button
80Starts withNavigation → NavigationView
60ContainsDialog → ContentDialog
50PascalCase initialsASB → AutoSuggestBox
40Multi-keyword ANDnavigation item → NavigationViewItem
20Fuzzy character matchNavVw → NavigationView

Results are grouped by namespace. Higher-scored namespaces appear first.

Troubleshooting

IssueFix
"Cache not found"Run Update-WinMdCache.ps1
"Multiple projects cached"Add -Project <name>
"Namespace not found"Use -Action namespaces to list available ones
"Type not found"Use fully qualified name (e.g., Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Button)
Stale after NuGet updateRe-run Update-WinMdCache.ps1
Cache in git historyAdd Generated Files/ to .gitignore

References

FAQ

What does the winmd-api-search skill do?

Find and explore Windows desktop APIs. Use when building features that need platform capabilities — camera, file access, notifications, UI controls, AI/ML, sensors, networking, etc. Discovers the right API for a task and retrieves full type details (methods, properties, events, enumeration values).

How do I install winmd-api-search?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill winmd-api-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/winmd-api-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/winmd-api-search/ (project).

Which AI agents can use winmd-api-search?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is winmd-api-search safe to install?

Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed; Runlayer flagged items to review; ZeroLeaks passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.

Who maintains winmd-api-search?

It is published by github in github/awesome-copilot, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 5,723 recorded installs.

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