Document auto-injection behavior and limitations

.github/workflows/build.yml

@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ jobs:
       with:
         dotnet-version: ${{ env.DOTNET_VERSION }}
 
+    - name: Setup MSBuild
+      uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v1.3
+
+    - name: Build native bootstrapper
+      run: |
+        msbuild src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper.vcxproj /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64
+        msbuild src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper.vcxproj /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=Win32
+
     - name: Restore dependencies
       run: dotnet restore WpfVisualTreeMcp.sln
 
@@ -43,6 +51,65 @@ jobs:
     - name: Publish MCP Server
       run: dotnet publish src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server.csproj --no-build --configuration Release --output ./publish
 
+    - name: Verify auto-injection payload
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $netFxInspectorDlls = Get-ChildItem ./src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/bin/Release/net48/*.dll
+        $requiredPayloadFiles = @(
+          './publish/native/x64/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll'
+          './publish/native/x86/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll'
+          './publish/native/x64/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json'
+          './publish/native/x86/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json'
+          foreach ($architecture in @('x64', 'x86')) {
+            foreach ($dll in $netFxInspectorDlls) {
+              "./publish/native/$architecture/$($dll.Name)"
+            }
+          }
+        )
+        $missingPayloadFiles = @($requiredPayloadFiles | Where-Object { -not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $_) })
+        if ($missingPayloadFiles.Count -gt 0) {
+          throw "Missing auto-injection payload files: $($missingPayloadFiles -join ', ')"
+        }
+
+    - name: Pack NuGet package
+      run: dotnet pack src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server.csproj --no-build --configuration Release --output ./artifacts
+
+    - name: Verify NuGet auto-injection payload
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $package = Get-ChildItem ./artifacts/*.nupkg | Select-Object -First 1
+        if ($null -eq $package) { throw 'NuGet package was not created.' }
+
+        $netFxInspectorDllNames = Get-ChildItem ./src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/bin/Release/net48/*.dll |
+          Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
+        $requiredEntrySuffixes = @(
+          foreach ($architecture in @('x64', 'x86')) {
+            "/native/$architecture/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll"
+            "/native/$architecture/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json"
+            foreach ($dllName in $netFxInspectorDllNames) {
+              "/native/$architecture/$dllName"
+            }
+          }
+        )
+
+        Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem
+        $archive = [System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::OpenRead($package.FullName)
+        try {
+          $entryNames = @($archive.Entries.FullName)
+          $missingEntrySuffixes = @($requiredEntrySuffixes | Where-Object {
+            $requiredSuffix = $_
+            -not ($entryNames | Where-Object {
+              $_.EndsWith($requiredSuffix, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            })
+          })
+          if ($missingEntrySuffixes.Count -gt 0) {
+            throw "NuGet package is missing auto-injection payload entries: $($missingEntrySuffixes -join ', ')"
+          }
+        }
+        finally {
+          $archive.Dispose()
+        }
+
     - name: Upload artifacts
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ jobs:
     - name: Setup MSBuild
       uses: microsoft/setup-msbuild@v1.3
 
+    - name: Build native bootstrapper
+      run: |
+        msbuild src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper.vcxproj /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64
+        msbuild src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper.vcxproj /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=Win32
+
     - name: Restore dependencies
       run: dotnet restore WpfVisualTreeMcp.sln
 
@@ -44,6 +49,26 @@ jobs:
     - name: Publish MCP Server
       run: dotnet publish src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server.csproj --no-build --configuration Release --output ./publish/server
 
+    - name: Verify auto-injection payload
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $netFxInspectorDlls = Get-ChildItem ./src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/bin/Release/net48/*.dll
+        $requiredPayloadFiles = @(
+          './publish/server/native/x64/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll'
+          './publish/server/native/x86/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll'
+          './publish/server/native/x64/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json'
+          './publish/server/native/x86/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json'
+          foreach ($architecture in @('x64', 'x86')) {
+            foreach ($dll in $netFxInspectorDlls) {
+              "./publish/server/native/$architecture/$($dll.Name)"
+            }
+          }
+        )
+        $missingPayloadFiles = @($requiredPayloadFiles | Where-Object { -not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $_) })
+        if ($missingPayloadFiles.Count -gt 0) {
+          throw "Missing auto-injection payload files: $($missingPayloadFiles -join ', ')"
+        }
+
     - name: Publish Inspector DLL
       run: dotnet publish src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.csproj --configuration Release --framework net8.0-windows --output ./publish/inspector
 
@@ -54,6 +79,42 @@ jobs:
     - name: Pack NuGet package
       run: dotnet pack src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Server.csproj --configuration Release --output ./artifacts
 
+    - name: Verify NuGet auto-injection payload
+      shell: pwsh
+      run: |
+        $package = Get-ChildItem ./artifacts/*.nupkg | Select-Object -First 1
+        if ($null -eq $package) { throw 'NuGet package was not created.' }
+
+        $netFxInspectorDllNames = Get-ChildItem ./src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/bin/Release/net48/*.dll |
+          Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
+        $requiredEntrySuffixes = @(
+          foreach ($architecture in @('x64', 'x86')) {
+            "/native/$architecture/WpfInspectorBootstrapper.dll"
+            "/native/$architecture/coreclr/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector.runtimeconfig.json"
+            foreach ($dllName in $netFxInspectorDllNames) {
+              "/native/$architecture/$dllName"
+            }
+          }
+        )
+
+        Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem
+        $archive = [System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::OpenRead($package.FullName)
+        try {
+          $entryNames = @($archive.Entries.FullName)
+          $missingEntrySuffixes = @($requiredEntrySuffixes | Where-Object {
+            $requiredSuffix = $_
+            -not ($entryNames | Where-Object {
+              $_.EndsWith($requiredSuffix, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            })
+          })
+          if ($missingEntrySuffixes.Count -gt 0) {
+            throw "NuGet package is missing auto-injection payload entries: $($missingEntrySuffixes -join ', ')"
+          }
+        }
+        finally {
+          $archive.Dispose()
+        }
+
     # Trusted publishing (OIDC): requires a policy at nuget.org/account/trustedpublishing
     # for repo faze79/WPFVisualTreeMcp, workflow release.yml, package WpfVisualTreeMcp,
     # plus a repo secret NUGET_USER = the nuget.org profile name. Skipped with a notice

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Build and package the x64 and x86 native bootstrappers so Auto-injection works from the
+  NuGet tool and release archive.
+- Package the complete .NET Framework Inspector dependency closure and resolve its
+  co-located private assemblies without relying on the target application's binding redirects.
+- Use the standard CoreCLR runtimeconfig filename so it remains accessible from the NuGet
+  tool's deeply nested installation directory.
+
 ## [0.12.0] - 2026-07-24
 
 ### Added

README.md

@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ command list. Output is JSON on stdout; diagnostics go to stderr.
 | Interaction surface | click (UIA + physical, double/right), set-text w/ read-back, send-keys, **select-item (virtualized)** | click / type / select | usually invoke-only |
 | Wait for element conditions | ✅ `wpf_wait_for` | ✅ | ❌ |
 | Popup / dropdown / context-menu screenshots | ✅ screen mode | partial | screenshot only |
-| Cross-architecture injection (x64 ⇄ x86) | ✅ | n/a | ❌ |
+| Cross-architecture injection (x64 server → x86 target) | ✅ | n/a | ❌ |
 | Dual-mode: MCP server **and** one-shot CLI | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | Distribution | NuGet (`dnx`/tool) + official MCP registry | varies | varies |
 
@@ -226,7 +226,36 @@ Add to your Cursor settings (`.cursor/mcp.json`):
 }
 ```
 
-### Self-Hosted Mode (Recommended)
+### Auto-Injection Mode
+
+Auto-injection loads the Inspector into an already-running WPF process without
+source changes. Set `auto_inject=true` when calling `wpf_attach`, or run:
+
+```powershell
+wpfinspect attach --pid <process-id> --auto-inject
+```
+
+Auto-injection has these constraints:
+
+- It requires permission to open the target process, write memory, and create a
+  remote thread. Elevated, protected, sandboxed, or security-hardened processes
+  may reject it, and endpoint security may block it as DLL injection.
+- The matching x64 or x86 native bootstrapper and the complete Inspector
+  dependency set must be present. A 64-bit server additionally needs the
+  bundled x86 helper and the x86 .NET 8 runtime to inject into a 32-bit target.
+  Native ARM64 targets are not supported.
+- Injection occurs after process startup, so it cannot recover earlier binding
+  errors or initialization activity. A restarted application must be injected
+  again under its new process ID.
+- The target must have an initialized WPF `Application` and a responsive UI
+  dispatcher. The injected Inspector remains loaded until the target exits.
+- Loading native and managed code into the target can conflict with its runtime,
+  assembly versions, or process-hardening policy.
+
+See the [injector documentation](src/WpfVisualTreeMcp.Injector/README.md) for the
+implementation, runtime requirements, diagnostics, and detailed limitations.
+
+### Self-Hosted Mode
 
 For your WPF application to be inspectable, add a reference to the Inspector DLL and initialize it on startup:
 
@@ -258,6 +287,8 @@ public partial class App : Application
 ```
 
 This enables the MCP server to connect to your application via named pipes for real-time inspection.
+The Inspector multi-targets .NET Framework 4.7.2, .NET Framework 4.8, and
+.NET 8 for Windows, so project references select a compatible build.
 
 ## Usage Examples
 
@@ -469,7 +500,7 @@ WpfVisualTreeMcp/
 │   │   ├── WpfTools.cs                 # 20 WPF tools (17 inspection + click/set-text/send-keys)
 │   │   ├── Cli/CliRunner.cs            # One-shot CLI front-end (v0.4.0)
 │   │   └── Services/                   # Process & IPC management
-│   ├── WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/     # Injected DLL (.NET Framework 4.8)
+│   ├── WpfVisualTreeMcp.Inspector/     # Injected DLL (.NET Framework 4.7.2/4.8 and .NET 8)
 │   ├── WpfVisualTreeMcp.Injector/      # Managed injection logic (CreateRemoteThread; net48 + net8.0)
 │   ├── WpfVisualTreeMcp.InjectorHelper/# x86 .NET 8 helper exe for cross-arch injection (v0.6.0)
 │   ├── WpfVisualTreeMcp.Bootstrapper/  # Native C++ DLL for CLR hosting

WpfVisualTreeMcp.sln

@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution
 		mcp.json = mcp.json
 	EndProjectSection
 EndProject
+Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "WpfVisualTreeMcp.Shared.Tests", "tests\WpfVisualTreeMcp.Shared.Tests\WpfVisualTreeMcp.Shared.Tests.csproj", "{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D}"
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
@@ -65,6 +67,10 @@ Global
 		{F6A7B8C9-D0E1-2345-F012-456789012345}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
 		{F6A7B8C9-D0E1-2345-F012-456789012345}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
 		{F6A7B8C9-D0E1-2345-F012-456789012345}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
+		{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
+		{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
+		{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
+		{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
 		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
@@ -77,6 +83,7 @@ Global
 		{B0A1C2D3-E4F5-6789-0123-456789ABCDEF} = {1A2B3C4D-5E6F-7890-1234-567890ABCDEF}
 		{E5F6A7B8-C9D0-1234-EF01-345678901234} = {2B3C4D5E-6F78-9012-3456-7890ABCDEF01}
 		{F6A7B8C9-D0E1-2345-F012-456789012345} = {3C4D5E6F-7890-1234-5678-90ABCDEF0123}
+		{17056590-7FA9-414F-9772-6C60C56C1A5D} = {3C4D5E6F-7890-1234-5678-90ABCDEF0123}
 	EndGlobalSection
 	GlobalSection(ExtensibilityGlobals) = postSolution
 		SolutionGuid = {12345678-90AB-CDEF-1234-567890ABCDEF}