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Getting Started with NetContextServer

Welcome to NetContextServer! This guide will help you get up and running in just a few minutes. NetContextServer is a powerful tool that enhances AI coding assistants by giving them deep understanding of your .NET codebase.

Why NetContextServer?

When you're using AI coding assistants like Cursor AI or Claude, they work best when they understand your codebase. NetContextServer bridges this gap by:

  • 🔍 Enabling AI to search and understand your code semantically
  • 📁 Providing secure access to your project structure and files
  • 🛡️ Maintaining security with built-in safeguards for sensitive data
  • 🚀 Making AI suggestions more relevant to your specific project

Quick Start (5 Minutes)

Prerequisites

  • .NET 9.0 or later
  • For semantic search: Azure OpenAI account (optional but recommended)
  • Git

1. Install NetContextServer

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/willibrandon/NetContextServer.git
cd NetContextServer

# Build the solution
dotnet build

2. Set Up Environment (for Semantic Search)

Create a .env file in the root directory:

AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=your_azure_openai_endpoint
AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your_azure_openai_key

💡 Note: NetContextServer works without Azure OpenAI, but semantic search will be disabled.

3. Test the Installation

# Run a simple hello test
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- hello

# Set your project directory
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- set-base-dir --directory "path/to/your/project"

# Try a semantic search
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- semantic-search --query "find authentication logic"

Integration with Cursor AI

Cursor AI is one of the primary ways to use NetContextServer. Here's how to set it up:

  1. Open Cursor AI
  2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command palette
  3. Type "Configure MCP Server" and select it
  4. Enter the following configuration: 
    {
  "command": "dotnet",
  "args": ["run", "--project", "path/to/NetContextServer/src/NetContextServer/NetContextServer.csproj"]
}
  5. Start coding! Try asking Cursor AI questions about your codebase.

Example prompts to try:

  • "List all .NET source files in this project directory"
  • "Search for exact text matches in the code files"
  • "Analyze NuGet packages in all projects"
  • "Get the current list of ignore patterns"
  • "Add these ignore patterns: .generated.cs, bin/"
  • "List all .csproj files in this directory"
  • "Show me the contents of this file"
  • "What's the current base directory for file operations?"

Common Operations

Project Navigation

# List all projects in a directory
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- list-projects-in-dir --directory "path/to/dir"

# List source files in a project
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- list-source-files --project-dir "path/to/project"

Code Search

# Text-based search
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- search-code --text "authentication"

# Semantic search (requires Azure OpenAI)
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- semantic-search --query "how is user data validated"

Package Analysis

# First set your base directory
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- set-base-dir --directory "path/to/your/project"

# Analyze packages across all projects
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- analyze-packages

The package analysis provides:

  • Visualization of transitive dependencies with color-coded graphs
  • Detection of unused packages (⚠️) and available updates (🔄)
  • Security vulnerability warnings (🔴)
  • Smart grouping of related packages by namespace
  • Recommendations for package maintenance

Security Management

# Add files to ignore
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- add-ignore-patterns --patterns "*.secret" "*.key"

# View current ignore patterns
dotnet run --project src/NetContextClient/NetContextClient.csproj -- get-ignore-patterns

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. "Directory not found" error

    • Ensure the path exists and is accessible
    • Use absolute paths if relative paths aren't working

  2. Semantic search not working

    • Check your Azure OpenAI environment variables
    • Verify your Azure OpenAI service is running
    • Ensure you have embedding model access

  3. Access denied errors

    • Verify the file/directory is within your set base directory
    • Check file permissions
    • Review ignore patterns that might be blocking access

Getting Help

  • Check the GitHub Issues for known problems
  • Use CursorMCPMonitor to debug MCP communication
  • Create a new issue if you find a bug or have a feature request

Next Steps

Tips for Best Results

  1. Set a Specific Base Directory

    • Always set the base directory to your project root
    • This ensures AI tools have access to all relevant files

  2. Use Semantic Search Effectively

    • Write natural language queries
    • Be specific about what you're looking for
    • Use domain terminology from your codebase

  3. Manage Ignore Patterns

    • Add patterns for generated files to reduce noise
    • Don't forget to ignore sensitive files
    • Review patterns periodically

  4. Keep the Server Running

    • Start NetContextServer before beginning your coding session
    • It will maintain an index of your code for faster searches