Winmd-Api-Search

# 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](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download) 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

| Source | When available |

|--------|----------------|

| Windows Platform SDK | Always (reads from local SDK install) |

| WinAppSDK (latest) | Always (bundled as baseline in cache generator) |

| WinAppSDK Runtime | When installed on the system (detected via `Get-AppxPackage`) |

| Project NuGet packages | After `dotnet restore` or with `packages.config` |

| Project-output `.winmd` | After 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](#cache-setup-required-before-first-use) above.

**1. Translate user language → search keywords**

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

| User says | Search 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