Glidermcp.com

Glider is a Roslyn-based MCP server that provides semantic analysis, intelligent refactoring, and architecture exploration capabilities for C# code in MCP clients (such as Claude Code).

Developer tools Artificial intelligence chatbots #Code analysis #Intelligent refactoring #Semantic search #Architecture exploration .TypeScript

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update time : 2026-03-12

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What is Glider MCP?

Glider MCP is an intelligent code assistant server that can deeply understand your C# projects. It connects to AI programming tools like Claude Code, enabling AI to analyze your codebase like a real compiler, providing features such as precise code navigation, finding references, safe refactoring, and architecture analysis.

How to use Glider MCP?

First, you need to configure Glider as an MCP server in your AI programming tool (such as Claude Code). After configuration, you can directly use natural language commands in AI conversations to analyze and operate on your C# code, for example, 'Find all callers of this method' or 'Rename this class'.

Use cases

Glider is very suitable for scenarios that require in-depth understanding and modification of existing large C# codebases. For example: exploring unfamiliar project structures, safely performing large-scale renaming, analyzing the impact of code changes, finding all implementations of a specific pattern, or ensuring that existing functions are not broken when refactoring code.

Main features

Diagnostics and status

Check the server status and obtain compiler diagnostics for the loaded solution to help you discover potential issues.

Solution management

Load, reload, or synchronize C# solutions and projects on disk to ensure that the analysis engine is consistent with the latest code.

Symbol intelligent resolution

Precisely resolve symbols (such as class and method names) in the code like a compiler and convert them into stable identifiers for cross-tool calls.

Reference and relationship analysis

Precisely find references, overrides, and implementations of symbols. Search based on unique symbol identifiers for accurate results.

Deep code analysis

Obtain detailed type information, method signatures, and source code. Support semantic queries and text searches to meet different levels of analysis requirements.

Type hierarchy navigation

Visualize the inheritance relationships of types, find derived types, and locate specific members in the entire inheritance chain.

Call graph and impact analysis

Analyze the callers and callees of methods, evaluate the cascading impact of code changes, and assist in safe refactoring.

Safe refactoring

Safely rename symbols, move types or members, and automatically update all related references. Support previewing the differences of changes.

Code formatting

Automatically organize using directives and format documents, follow a consistent code style, and provide a preview of changes.

Architecture and metrics

Analyze the dependency relationships of types, calculate metrics such as code complexity, and help understand the project architecture.

Batch operations

Combine multiple tool calls into a single request to improve the execution efficiency of complex workflows.

Advantages

Semantic understanding: Based on the Roslyn compiler, it provides precise code analysis at the same level as an IDE, rather than simple text matching.

Safe refactoring: Renaming and moving operations automatically update all references, reducing human errors. Support preview to ensure correct changes.

Deep insight: Provides advanced features such as call graphs, dependency analysis, and hierarchies to help developers deeply understand complex codebases.

Efficient workflow: Supports batch operations and precise symbol positioning, greatly improving the efficiency of code exploration and modification when collaborating with AI.

Easy integration: As a standard MCP server, it can be easily integrated into modern development tools that support MCP, such as Claude Code.

Limitations

Language-specific: Currently only supports the C# language and cannot be used to analyze projects in other programming languages.

Environment dependency: Requires the installation of .NET SDK 10.0 or higher and correct configuration of the PATH environment variable.

Solution loading: The absolute path of the solution (.sln) or project file (.csproj) must be provided for correct loading.

Learning curve: Users need to understand its operation mode based on 'symbols' rather than 'text' and may need to adapt to new query methods.

How to use

Install Glider

Ensure that your system has .NET 10.0 SDK or higher installed. Then install Glider using the .NET global tool command.

Configure to an MCP client (taking Claude Code as an example)

In your project directory, add Glider as the MCP server for Claude Code. It is recommended to use project-scope configuration.

Start and load the solution

Start a conversation in Claude Code. First, use natural language commands to let Glider load your C# solution file.

Start analysis and operation

After the solution is successfully loaded, you can use various natural language instructions to explore, analyze, and refactor the code.

Usage examples

Explore a new codebase

You've just joined a project and need to quickly understand the usage and dependencies of a core class.

Safe rename refactoring

You find that a method name is misspelled or unclear and need to rename it, but are worried about missing some reference points.

Analyze the impact of changes

You plan to modify the definition of a public interface and need to evaluate which code will be affected.

Batch update code

You want to combine a series of related query operations into a single batch for execution to improve efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does it seem to get stuck when I directly run the `glider` command?

I've installed Glider using `dotnet tool install`, but the system says it can't find the `glider` command. What should I do?

Glider can't load my solution or project file. What could be the reason?

What's the difference between Glider and using 'Find all references' directly in an IDE?

What is `symbolKey`? Why is it important?

Related resources

Glider MCP official documentation

The official website containing a complete setup guide, detailed tool descriptions, and advanced usage tips.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) specification

Understand the MCP protocol standard followed by Glider and how it communicates with clients.

.NET official website

Download and learn about the .NET SDK, which is a prerequisite environment for running Glider.

Roslyn (.NET Compiler Platform)

The underlying technical foundation of Glider's semantic analysis capabilities, an open-source project repository.

🚀 Glider MCP

Glider is a Roslyn-powered Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed for semantic C# code analysis and refactoring in MCP clients (e.g., Claude Code). It offers advanced capabilities to enhance the development experience for C# projects.

For comprehensive documentation and setup guides, please visit glidermcp.com.

✨ Features

Resolve symbols in the same way as the compiler (not via grep).
Resolve ambiguous names into stable keys (symbolKey) and utilize them across tool calls.
Find references, overrides, and implementations by exact symbolKey.
Query symbols using semantic predicates and search solution text (literal/regex).
Navigate type hierarchies, call graphs, and analyze change impact.
Inspect APIs with detailed type information and method signatures.
Surface compiler diagnostics for a loaded solution/project.
Safely refactor code: rename symbols and move types/members with reference updates.
Apply deterministic formatting with preview diffs.
Analyze architecture through dependency and complexity metrics.
Batch multiple tool calls into a single request.

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

.NET 10.0 SDK or later

Install / update / uninstall

dotnet tool install --global glider
dotnet tool update --global glider
dotnet tool uninstall --global glider

🚀 Quick Start

Glider supports two transports:

Stdio (default): suitable for local MCP clients like Claude Code
HTTP: for MCP clients that connect over Streamable HTTP

# Stdio (default)
glider

# Show CLI help and exit
glider --help
glider -h

# Print version and exit
glider --version
glider -v

# Enable logs and (for stdio) a startup banner on stderr
glider --verbose

# HTTP (default port: 5001)
glider --transport http
# Listens on http://localhost:5001/mcp

glider --transport http --port 8080
# Listens on http://localhost:8080/mcp

💻 Usage Examples

Using with Claude Code (stdio)

# Project-scoped config (recommended)
claude mcp add --transport stdio glider --scope project -- ~/.dotnet/tools/glider

If you prefer not to call the shim directly:

claude mcp add --transport stdio glider --scope project -- dotnet tool run --global glider

Example prompts

Load the C# solution at /path/to/YourProject.sln

I changed some files on disk. Reload the current solution and then re-run diagnostics.

Find all usages of MyNamespace.MyType.MyMethod

Resolve MyNamespace.MyType.MyMethod, then find_references for the selected symbolKey

Rename the symbol OldName to NewName (preview the diff first).

📚 Documentation

Tool overview

Diagnostics: server_status, get_diagnostics
Solution management: load, reload, sync
Symbol discovery: resolve_symbol, search_symbols, get_symbol_at_position, get_symbol_info
References & relationships: find_references, find_overrides, find_implementations
Code analysis: get_type_info, get_method_signature, get_type_source, get_method_source
Semantic & text search: semantic_query, search_text
Type hierarchy: get_type_hierarchy, get_derived_types, find_member_in_hierarchy
Call graph & impact: find_callers, get_outgoing_calls, analyze_change_impact
Refactoring: rename_symbol, move_type, move_member
Formatting: organize_usings, format_document
External source: view_external_definition
Architecture & metrics: get_type_dependencies, analyze_complexity
Batching: batch

Troubleshooting

`glider` “hangs” when I run it

That’s expected for stdio mode: it’s an MCP server waiting for a client connection, and it’s intentionally quiet by default. Configure it in your MCP client instead of running it in a terminal by itself (use --verbose if you want startup output/logs on stderr).