Configuring AI agents

AI coding agents such as Claude Code and OpenAI Codex generate much better Metalama code when they can look up the real documentation instead of guessing from memory. The Metalama plugin gives them comprehensive knowledge about aspects, templates, fabrics, and the entire Metalama API.

What the plugin provides

The Metalama plugin gives your AI agent access to:

• Conceptual documentation: Complete guides on aspects, templates, fabrics, validation, and configuration.
• API reference: Full documentation for all Metalama namespaces and types.
• Sample code: Working examples demonstrating common patterns and techniques.
• Pattern libraries: Documentation for Metalama.Patterns.Contracts, Metalama.Patterns.Caching, Metalama.Patterns.Observability, and more.

Installing in Claude Code

1. Add the Metalama marketplace to Claude Code:

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   /plugin marketplace add https://github.com/metalama/Metalama.AI.Skills
   

2. Install the Metalama plugin:

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   /plugin install metalama
   

To update to a newer version:

/plugin update metalama

Installing in OpenAI Codex

1. Add the Metalama marketplace to Codex:

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   codex plugin marketplace add metalama/Metalama.AI.Skills
   

2. Install the metalama plugin from the plugin directory (Plugins) in the Codex app.

To update to a newer version:

codex plugin marketplace upgrade

Using the plugin

Once installed, the agent automatically uses the Metalama plugin when you ask questions about:

• Creating or modifying aspects
• Writing T# templates
• Using fabrics to apply aspects in bulk
• Working with the Metalama code model
• Implementing patterns like caching, contracts, or observability

If the agent doesn't seem to use Metalama-specific knowledge, explicitly mention "Metalama" in your prompt.

Letting the agent see the generated code

An agent cannot use the Metalama Diff of Visual Studio. To check the code that an aspect generates, it must read the transformed code. The fastest way is the metalama preview command, which prints the transformed and formatted code of one or a few files without building the whole project:

metalama preview src/MyProject/Services/OrderService.cs

The Metalama plugin tells the agent to use this command after it changes an aspect or the code that an aspect targets. The command belongs to the Metalama command line tool, so install the tool on the machine where the agent runs:

dotnet tool install -g metalama.tool

For details, see Previewing transformed code from the command line.

Example prompts

• "Create a logging aspect that logs method entry and exit"
• "How do I introduce a property to a class using Metalama?"
• "Write a contract that validates a string parameter is not empty"
• "How do I apply an aspect to all public methods in a namespace?"