rename_symbol

[refactoring]

Semantically renames a symbol across the solution/project. An applied refactor keeps the line endings each file already has. A file that mixes LF and CRLF is written with the ending it uses most. The unified diff normalizes both sides to LF, so it shows the edit and not the endings.

Why this tool exists

C# refactors are semantic operations, not search-and-replace operations.

How it helps the agent

The model can preview or apply semantic changes while preserving symbol identity across overloads, files, and projects.

Try it locally in the Glider playground

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
symbolName	string	Yes	Symbol name to rename (simple or fully qualified).
newName	string	Yes	New name for the symbol.
projectName	string	No	Optional project name to limit symbol search.
applyChanges	boolean	No	If true (default), applies changes to disk. If false, returns a preview diff.
includeDiff	boolean	No	Include unified diff in response. Default is true.
maxDiffChars	number	No	Max diff characters. Use 0 for unlimited. Default is 50000.
includePerFileDiff	boolean	No	Include per-file diffs in changedFiles. Default is true.
pathStyle	string	No	Path style: 'absolute' (default) or 'relative' (to solution root).

Examples

Rename a class

Request 
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "rename_symbol",
    "arguments": {
      "symbolName": "OldClassName",
      "newName": "NewClassName"
    }
  }
}

Response 
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "symbolName": "OldClassName",
    "newName": "NewClassName",
    "symbolKind": "Class",
    "filesChanged": 5,
    "locationsChanged": 12,
    "applied": true,
    "unifiedDiff": "..."
  },
  "error": null
}

Preview without applying

Request 
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "rename_symbol",
    "arguments": {
      "symbolName": "OldName",
      "newName": "NewName",
      "applyChanges": false
    }
  }
}

Response 
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "symbolName": "OldClassName",
    "newName": "NewClassName",
    "symbolKind": "Class",
    "filesChanged": 5,
    "locationsChanged": 12,
    "applied": true,
    "unifiedDiff": "..."
  },
  "error": null
}

Response Notes

Returns a unified diff of the change set