dotnet-library-api-compat
dotnet-library-api-compat
Binary and source compatibility rules for .NET library authors. Covers which API changes break consumers at the binary level (assembly loading, JIT resolution) versus at the source level (compilation), how to use type forwarders for assembly reorganization without breaking consumers, and how versioning decisions map to SemVer major/minor/patch increments.
Version assumptions: .NET 8.0+ baseline. Compatibility rules apply to all .NET versions but examples target modern SDK-style projects.
Out of scope: HTTP API versioning -- see [skill:dotnet-api-versioning]. NuGet package metadata, signing, and publish workflows -- see [skill:dotnet-nuget-authoring]. Multi-TFM packaging mechanics (polyfill strategy, conditional compilation) -- see [skill:dotnet-multi-targeting]. PublicApiAnalyzers and API surface validation tooling -- see [skill:dotnet-api-surface-validation]. Roslyn analyzer configuration -- see [skill:dotnet-roslyn-analyzers].
Cross-references: [skill:dotnet-api-versioning] for HTTP API versioning, [skill:dotnet-nuget-authoring] for NuGet packaging and SemVer rules, [skill:dotnet-multi-targeting] for multi-TFM packaging and ApiCompat tooling.
Binary Compatibility
Binary compatibility means existing compiled assemblies continue to work at runtime without recompilation. A binary-breaking change causes TypeLoadException, MissingMethodException, MissingFieldException, or TypeInitializationException at runtime.
Safe Changes (Binary Compatible)
| Change | Why Safe |
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