Dotnet Serena Code Navigation
dotnet-serena-code-navigation
Efficient code navigation using Serena MCP symbol operations instead of text search
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
dotnet-serena-code-navigation
Navigate .NET codebases efficiently using Serena MCP symbol operations. Move beyond text search to precise symbol-level navigation.
Trigger
Use when needing to:
- Find class/method definitions across files
- Understand project structure and dependencies
- Navigate complex inheritance hierarchies
- Jump between related symbols quickly
The Problem with Text Search
Traditional approaches have limitations:
# Text search problems:
- "class UserService" finds comments, strings, unrelated mentions
- Line numbers change, breaking bookmarks
- Can't distinguish method overloads
- Misses inherited members
- No semantic understanding
Serena-First Navigation
1. Finding Definitions
Serena approach:
serena_find_symbol: "OrderService/ProcessOrder"
Text search fallback:
Grep: "public.*void.*ProcessOrder"
Read: src/Services/OrderService.cs
2. Understanding File Structure
Serena approach:
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderService.cs"
Returns:
- All types in file
- Methods and properties
- Inheritance relationships
- Namespace organization
Text search fallback:
Read: src/Services/OrderService.cs
Grep: "^ (public|private|protected)"
3. Tracking References
Serena approach:
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "OrderService"
Shows:
- All usages across codebase
- Dependency direction
- Impact analysis
Text search fallback:
Grep: "OrderService"
# Manual filtering of false positives
Common Navigation Patterns
Pattern 1: Jump to Implementation
# Scenario: Find where interface method is implemented
serena_find_symbol: "IOrderRepository/SaveAsync"
# Get implementing types
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "IOrderRepository"
# Navigate to concrete implementation
Pattern 2: Understand Call Hierarchy
# Scenario: Who calls this method?
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "OrderService/ProcessOrder"
# Returns all callers with context
Pattern 3: Navigate Inheritance
# Scenario: Find all implementations of an abstract method
serena_find_symbol: "BaseService/Execute"
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "BaseService"
# Review each derived type
When to Use Serena vs Text Search
| Scenario | Serena | Text Search |
|---|---|---|
| Find definition by name | ✅ Primary | Fallback |
| Understand file structure | ✅ Primary | Fallback |
| Track references | ✅ Primary | Fallback |
| Search by pattern/content | ❌ Not suitable | ✅ Primary |
| Read full file context | ❌ Not suitable | ✅ Primary |
| Regex-based search | ❌ Not suitable | ✅ Primary |
Practical Examples
Example 1: Refactoring a Method
# Step 1: Find all references
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "OrderService/CalculateTotal"
# Step 2: Understand signature
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderService.cs"
# Step 3: Replace with new signature
serena_replace_symbol_body: "OrderService/CalculateTotal"
Example 2: Understanding Dependencies
# Step 1: Get entry point structure
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Program.cs"
# Step 2: Follow service registration
serena_find_symbol: "Program/ConfigureServices"
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "IOrderService"
# Step 3: Analyze dependency chain
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderService.cs"
Best Practices
1. Always Check Symbol Exists
# Good
result = serena_find_symbol: "UserService"
if not found:
# Try text search or different name
Grep: "UserService"
2. Combine with Traditional Tools
# Use Serena for navigation
serena_find_symbol: "OrderService/ProcessOrder"
# Use Read for understanding implementation
Read: src/Services/OrderService.cs (lines 45-80)
3. Cache Symbol Information
# In agent memory or notes:
"OrderService defined in src/Services/OrderService.cs:15"
"ProcessOrder has 5 references"
Troubleshooting
Issue: Symbol Not Found
Cause: LSP server not running or file not indexed
Solution:
# Fallback to text search
Grep: "class OrderService"
Read: found_file.cs
Issue: Outdated Symbol Info
Cause: File changed since last index
Solution:
# Re-trigger indexing by opening file
Read: src/Services/OrderService.cs
# Or use text search for recent changes
Grep: "public void NewMethod"
Issue: Partial Matches
Cause: Symbol name ambiguous
Solution:
# Use fully qualified name
serena_find_symbol: "MyApp.Services.OrderService"
# Or search with namespace context
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderService.cs"
Performance Tips
- Use symbol overview first - Faster than reading entire file
- Cache symbol locations - Avoid repeated searches
- Follow references incrementally - Don't load entire graph at once
- Combine operations - Get overview, then dive into specific symbols
Integration with Other Skills
- [skill:dotnet-solution-navigation] - Project structure basics
- [skill:dotnet-csharp-coding-standards] - C# conventions
- [skill:dotnet-serena-refactoring] - Symbol-level refactoring
- [skill:dotnet-serena-analysis-patterns] - Code analysis with symbols
Example Agent Session
User: "I need to understand how Order processing works"
Agent:
1. serena_find_symbol: "OrderProcessingService"
2. serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderProcessingService.cs"
3. serena_find_referencing_symbols: "OrderProcessingService"
4. serena_find_symbol: "OrderProcessingService/ProcessOrder"
5. Read: specific implementation details
Result: Complete understanding with minimal file reads
Migration from Text Search
Before (Text-Heavy)
Read: src/Program.cs
Grep: "OrderService"
Read: src/Services/OrderService.cs
Grep: "ProcessOrder"
Read: found references
After (Serena-First)
serena_find_symbol: "OrderService"
serena_get_symbols_overview: "src/Services/OrderService.cs"
serena_find_referencing_symbols: "OrderService/ProcessOrder"
Read: specific implementations only
Result: 60% fewer file reads, precise targeting, better accuracy.