MSBuild Binlog Analyzer for VS Code

Analyze MSBuild binary logs (.binlog) with GitHub Copilot Chat and MCP tools — right from VS Code.

Preview — This extension is under active development. Feedback welcome!

Features

• 🤖 @binlog Chat Participant — Ask Copilot about your build: errors, performance, targets, and more
• 📊 Build Analysis Mode — Pre-configured Copilot Chat mode for build investigation
• 🌳 Binlog Explorer — Sidebar tree view with projects, errors, warnings, and performance data
• 🔍 Problems Panel — Build errors and warnings surfaced as VS Code diagnostics
• 📎 Multi-Binlog Support — Load and compare multiple binlogs in a single session
• ✨ Fix All Issues — One-click action to fix all build warnings/errors with Copilot agent
• 🔐 Secrets Detection — Scan binlogs for leaked credentials, tokens, and API keys
• 🔗 Structured Log Viewer Integration — One-click launch from the WPF MSBuild Structured Log Viewer

Quick Start

From Structured Log Viewer (recommended)

1. Open a .binlog in MSBuild Structured Log Viewer
2. Click ✨ Open in VS Code
3. The extension activates automatically — Copilot Chat opens with @binlog ready

Standalone

1. Install this extension
2. Open a project folder in VS Code
3. Run Binlog: Load File from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
4. Use @binlog in Copilot Chat to analyze your build

Prerequisites

• VS Code 1.99+ with GitHub Copilot
• .NET SDK (for the MCP server tool)
• baronfel.binlog.mcp — Auto-installed on first use, or install manually:

  dotnet tool install -g baronfel.binlog.mcp

Usage

Copilot Chat (@binlog)

Open Copilot Chat and type @binlog followed by your question:

@binlog why did the build fail?
@binlog what are the slowest targets?
@binlog show me all errors in MyProject.csproj

Slash commands:

Command	Description
/errors	Analyze build errors and warnings
/timeline	Build performance analysis
/targets	MSBuild target inspection
/summary	Comprehensive build summary
/secrets	Scan for leaked secrets
/compare	Compare two loaded binlogs side by side

Binlog Explorer Sidebar

Click the Binlog Analyzer icon in the Activity Bar to see:

• Loaded Binlogs — with inline remove (✕) button on hover
• Projects — with directory paths and build times; click for details
• Errors / Warnings — from build diagnostics
• Performance — slowest targets and tasks
• Actions — quick access to chat, add/refresh binlogs, set workspace, fix all issues

Fix All Issues

When errors or warnings exist, the ✨ Fix all issues action appears in the tree. It sends the concrete diagnostic list to Copilot agent mode, which:

1. Opens each source file and makes the fix
2. Suppresses unfixable issues with a comment
3. Rebuilds to verify — iterates until clean

Cross-Machine Binlogs

Binlogs from CI/CD or other machines contain source paths that don't match your local filesystem. The extension detects this and shows a dialog. Use Set workspace folder... in the tree's Actions to point VS Code at your local source code.

Commands (Ctrl+Shift+P)

Command	Description
Binlog: Load File	Open a binlog (replaces current session)
Binlog: Add File	Add more binlogs to the current session
Binlog: Remove File	Remove a binlog from the session
Binlog: Manage Loaded Binlogs	View/add/remove loaded binlogs
Binlog: Set Workspace Folder	Point VS Code at the right source code
Binlog: Fix All Build Issues	Fix all warnings/errors with Copilot
Binlog: Show Errors	Focus the Problems panel
Binlog: Scan for Secrets	Detect leaked credentials
Binlog: Redact Secrets	Create a redacted copy of a binlog

Status Bar

Shows the number of loaded binlogs. Click to manage.

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────────┐
│  Structured Log Viewer  │────▶│  VS Code Extension   │────▶│  baronfel.binlog.mcp│
│  (WPF)                  │     │  (this extension)    │     │  (MCP Server)       │
│                         │     │                      │     │                     │
│  • Opens binlog         │     │  • Configures MCP    │     │  • Parses binlog    │
│  • Detects workspace    │     │  • @binlog chat      │     │  • Provides tools   │
│  • Writes settings.json │     │  • Sidebar tree view │     │  • Copilot accesses │
│  • Launches VS Code     │     │  • Auto-installs tool│     │    via MCP protocol │
└─────────────────────────┘     └──────────────────────┘     └─────────────────────┘

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
binlogAnalyzer.mcpServerPath	""	Custom path to the MCP server executable
binlogAnalyzer.autoLoad	true	Auto-load binlog diagnostics on activation
binlogAnalyzer.diagnosticsSeverityFilter	"Warning"	Min severity for Problems panel

Telemetry

This extension collects anonymized usage data to help improve the experience. It respects VS Code's telemetry settings (telemetry.telemetryLevel). No source code, file paths, or build content is collected.

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile
npm run compile

# Run tests
npm test

# Watch mode
npm run watch

# Package VSIX
npx vsce package --no-dependencies --allow-missing-repository

Related Projects

• MSBuild Structured Log Viewer — WPF viewer for binlog files
• baronfel.binlog.mcp — MCP server for binlog analysis
• MSBuild Binary Log — Microsoft docs

License

MIT