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@Copilot Copilot AI commented Oct 9, 2025

Fixes #[issue number]

Summary

This PR improves the F# command-line tutorial by adding clearer explanations of what the dotnet sln add and dotnet add reference commands do, along with showing the actual XML markup that gets added to project files. This addresses feedback from a user who accidentally skipped the project reference step and had difficulty troubleshooting.

Changes

  1. Enhanced dotnet sln add explanation: Added clarification that this command "registers the project in the solution file so that the solution can track and build it."

  2. Enhanced dotnet add reference explanation: Added detailed explanation that this command "adds a <ProjectReference> element to the App.fsproj file, which tells the compiler that the App project depends on the Library project."

  3. Added XML example: Shows the actual XML markup that gets added to the App.fsproj file when running the dotnet add reference command:

    <ItemGroup>
      <ProjectReference Include="..\Library\Library.fsproj" />
    </ItemGroup>
  4. Added troubleshooting tip: Includes a TIP callout that explains what happens if users skip the project reference step (compilation error) and provides two ways to fix it: running the command or manually adding the XML to the project file.

Motivation

As an on-ramp tutorial, users may accidentally skip steps or want to understand what's happening under the hood. By showing the actual XML markup and explaining what each command does, users can:

  • Better understand the relationship between CLI commands and project file modifications
  • Troubleshoot issues if they accidentally skip a step
  • Manually fix project files if needed
  • Learn about .NET project structure while following the tutorial

Testing

  • ✅ Markdownlint passes with no errors
  • ✅ No breaking changes to existing content
  • ✅ Follows Microsoft Writing Style Guide conventions
Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>fsproj file text is missing (would help in the case of a user mistake leading to a missing project reference) </issue_title>
<issue_description>Normally I wouldn't file my own stupidity as an issue.
But since this is the on-ramp tutorial, I will this time.
I followed the tutorial and slipped up (twice)

What I broke was adding the reference from the app fsproj file to the library. (I went to get a cup of tea and skipped the line in the tutorial)

The fix was to add this to App.fsproj
< ItemGroup >
<ProjectReference Include="..\Library\Library.fsproj" />
</ItemGroup>

My mistake was clear from the error message
(error FS0039: The namespace or module 'Library' is not defined.).
But a link to the fsproj files might help people like me who cant follow instructions.

Now I dont know if it is worth cluttering up the tutorial. However, learning the fsproj format is the less glamourous part of learning FSharp the language, and I often trip up on building and linking when learning something new, (and frequently in stuff I should know too).

My second slip was not saving from the editor. (Cant fix stupid, but I realized when I saw "Hello from F#").

(This can be closed, just my two cents on including the App.fsproj in the tutorial somehow)


Document Details

Do not edit this section. It is required for docs.microsoft.com ➟ GitHub issue linking.

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

@BillWagner Thanks for filing this @xela-trawets It will help us improve the experience for everyone. @BillWagner To fix this, it's worth adding an explanation about what the `dotnet sln add` and `dotnet add` commands do.

Fixes #27014


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docs/fsharp/get-started/get-started-command-line.md Get started with F# with the .NET CLI

@dotnet-policy-service dotnet-policy-service bot added the okr-quality Content-quality KR: Concerns article defects (bugs), freshness, or build warnings. label Oct 9, 2025
Co-authored-by: BillWagner <493969+BillWagner@users.noreply.github.com>
@Copilot Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Fix missing fsproj file reference in tutorial Add explanations and XML example for project references in F# tutorial Oct 9, 2025
@Copilot Copilot AI requested a review from BillWagner October 9, 2025 19:22
Copilot finished work on behalf of BillWagner October 9, 2025 19:22
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Once applying suggestions, this is ready for review.

@BillWagner BillWagner marked this pull request as ready for review October 10, 2025 13:59
@BillWagner BillWagner requested review from a team as code owners October 10, 2025 13:59
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Pull Request Overview

This PR enhances the F# command-line tutorial by adding clearer explanations of project management commands and providing XML examples to help users understand what happens behind the scenes. The changes address user feedback about accidentally skipping the project reference step and having difficulty troubleshooting.

  • Added detailed explanations for dotnet sln add and dotnet add reference commands
  • Included XML markup example showing what gets added to project files
  • Added troubleshooting tip with TIP callout for users who skip the reference step
Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

docs/fsharp/get-started/get-started-command-line.md:1

  • Missing required AI usage disclosure frontmatter. Since this PR was created with AI assistance, add the frontmatter key ai-usage: ai-assisted to the document header.
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fsproj file text is missing (would help in the case of a user mistake leading to a missing project reference)

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