Adding references on Visual Studio Code from VSTS - visual-studio-code

I've got a private package stored on a feed in VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services). I want add it on a .NET Core project that I'm developing in Visual Studio Code.
Checking VSTS documentation, to add a package from private source it's necessary use the NuGet CLI, because .NET doesn't have support for private repositories (or at least I suppose it, because Microsoft recommend us to use NuGet CLI instead).
Using NuGet CLI, the command to add a package is NuGet install. But it downloads all packages, with .nupck, DLL files, a large, etc... (i.e., various XML files). And it doesn't add the necessary references to the project. Using .NET CLI to add the package, it adds the references in the .csproj file (project file), and it works as usual.
Is there a command that reproduces exactly the same behaviour like if we add package on Visual Studio, or Visual Code using .NET add package CLI?
If not, what I should do? Should I extract the DLL file and reference it manually in the .csproj file? If there's any update, how can I know it (in Visual Studio the NuGet UI shows me updates, but in Visual Studio Code, after adding a reference manually...)

There is no way to add a NuGet package into a project through Visual Studio Code nor through NuGet CLI.
And for the command nuget install (same function as nuget restore), it only downloads NuGet packages from the specified feed, but it does not make any changes for the project. You can also refer to the post How to install a NuGet package on the command line to a Visual Studio project.
The workarounds to add NuGet packages to project are as below:
Add packages in Visual Studio
You can open your project in Visual Studio, and then add NuGet packages through Visual Studio.
Manually change project file
If you have not Visual Studio installed. You can also manually change related files.
Such as add the private feed into nuget.config file, and then change .csproj file with the lines like:
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="xxx" Version="xxx" />
</ItemGroup>
Add packages by the dotnet add package command
You can also use dotnet add package command to add NuGet packages into your project:
dotnet add [<PROJECT>] package <PACKAGE_NAME> [-v|--version]

Related

Why windows C# projects contain nuget executable in .nuget folder?

I don't understood the overall scheme on how NuGet is used on windows platform (because I never saw this, I work with Linux and monodevelop).
In many windows projects, there is a .nuget folder in repository, like
https://github.com/YAFNET/YAFNET/tree/master/yafsrc/.nuget
In this folder there is a nuget.exe executable.
Why it is necessary to add executables to source code control(SCC)?
How NuGet build tool differs from all other binary tools like compilers, which are not included into SCC?
Why other package managers like paludis are not added to SCC, but nuget does?
What are exactly the reasons to put NuGet to SCC?
It is not necessary to add NuGet.exe to source control.
The reason some projects have .nuget/NuGet.exe, with a set of other MSBuild files, is to use the MSBuild based package restore. The MSBuild based package restore will run NuGet.exe at build time to download any missing packages.
The MSBuild based package restore has been deprecated by the NuGet team.
Visual Studio with recent versions of the NuGet Package Manager will automatically restore NuGet packages before building the project. If you need to restore NuGet packages on a build server you can use NuGet.exe to restore the NuGet packages by running a command line similar to:
NuGet.exe restore YourSolution.sln

OctoPack failing in TFS Build

I'm using Visual Studio Online with Visual Studio 2013. The build fails with
You are trying to build with OctoPack, but the NuGet targets file that OctoPack depends on is not available on this computer. This is probably because the OctoPack package has not been committed to source control, or NuGet Package Restore is not enabled
According to this link https://octopusdeploy.com/blog/octopack-3.0 I need to make some changes to get package restore working properly, but another link within the previous one says that no configuration is required if using VS2013 and Visual Studio Online Nuget.org
When I build in VS all of the packages get restored first and then the project builds. Also if I build the project and invoke Octopack via command line everything works fine. Thoughts?
If you do run NuGet Package Restore before building, this should work. However, make sure the path in your project file referring to OctoPack.targets is correct - you might have moved your packages folder or the project file and the relative paths no longer match. Easiest way to fix it would be to run Update-Package -Reinstall Octopack.
NuGet Package Restore was recently changed so you wouldn't need to include NuGet in the solution to do a package restore. However, OctoPack still needs NuGet on the path so it can find it. You can try explicitly specifying the path to NuGet by adding this parameter when calling OctoPack.
/p:OctoPackNuGetExePath=<path>\nuget.exe
You just need to check in the Octopack targets file.
\packages\OctoPack.2.0.26\targets\OctoPack.targets

Using SlowCheetah without NuGet

I've just started using SlowCheetah. When I right click my config file and choose "Add Transform" it doesn't only add the extra config files for all my configuration, but it also install a NuGet package which in turn adds a bunch of files to my solution.
Is the NuGet package required? I'd really prefer NOT to use NuGet at all in this project.
If it is not required, is there an easy way to add the transforms without installing the NuGet package?
I will always build the solution in Visual Studio (not on a build server) and it's ok to require that SlowCheetah is installed on the computer that is used for the build.
I'm using Visual Studio 2010.
Edit:
I've tried just uninstalling the NuGet package, but then the transformation doesn't work... :(
The NuGet package is now required. You can edit the project/packages.config to get around it but that's not recommended.

Using nuget to update project files outside of Package Manager Console

Nuget.exe only supports managing packages at a file system/configuration level. The powershell commands command the magic that update the .proj files.
With that said, i need the ability to update a csproj file with the latest version of a NuGet package outside of visual studio (automated).
Basically, how do I use Install-Package (or any of the other methods) inside of an external powershell script of my own?
UPDATE:
I would like to ability to add project references outside of VS for the following reason.
My company has a lot of shared libraries that depend on each other in some cases. I am using TFS Nugetter to build and publish nuget packages from TFS. I want to ensure that the developers can't queue a build (package) unless the project can build and run on all the newer versions. This ensures that all the newer versions of the libraries work with all the newer versions of its dependencies. If the build fails, then you need to update your nuget reference in VS and fix the compiler errors/unit tests.
I have been looking at the NuGet source and I think I found an easy way to reuse NuGet source to modify proj files outside of VS (kinda).
System.Type t = System.Type.GetTypeFromProgID("VisualStudio.DTE.10.0", true);
var dte = (DTE)System.Activator.CreateInstance(t, true);
dte.Solution.Open(
#"C:\Users\paul.knopf\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\SLNMemory\SLNMemory.sln");
Basically, open an in-memory version of visual studio, run the nuget commands, then save.
In a build step, after GetWorkspace, I would like to run this in-memory vs to update all nuget references to the latest version.
What do you think? It would definitely be slow, but we would be on the same code base and have all the functionality we need.
Automating Visual Studio as you describe is certainly a possibility.
Another way I looked at was using SharpDevelop to install NuGet packages outside of Visual Studio. The NuGet PowerShell cmdlets were modified to accept a solution and you could automate installation, including the use of PowerShell scripts in a NuGet package, from the command line. The code has not been updated so it targets an old version of NuGet but could be updated. Again this is similar to your solution and fairly heavyweight solution.

Create nuget package with multiple DLLs

Let's say I have a project with this structure:
MyLibrary\
MyLibrary.sln
MyLibrary.Core\
MyLibrary.Core.csproj
MyLibrary.Extensions\
MyLibrary.Extensions.csproj
MyLibrary.Tests\
MyLibrary.Tests.csproj
I want to create a single NuGet package which packages MyLibrary.Core.dll and MyLibrary.Extensions.dll. I can't seem to figure out how to get NuGet to do this. I've tried building a spec file manually and I've tried building one using "nuget spec MyLibrary.Core.csproj". I've tried adding all of the DLLs to a lib/ folder which I understand to be the convention-based mechanism for adding DLLs to the package. In every case I can get the MyLibary.Core.dll to get into the package but the MyLibrary.Extensions.dll does not end up packaged along with it.
TLDR: What is the best practice for creating a NuGet package with multiple projects / assemblies? Is there a tutorial out there that focuses on this? The tutorials I've found all focus on simple single-project demos.
You'll run NuGet on a single project (or nuspec file), but it supports pointers to other projects via the file element. This element uses the names of your project's References, so you avoid having to a) find the location of other project files, and b) copy files to a particular place as a post-build step.
Supposing you have a nuspec file for MyLibrary.Core.csproj, and it references MyLibrary.Extensions and MyLibrary.Tests such that they end up in the bin directory after a build:
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2010/07/nuspec.xsd">
<metadata>
...
</metadata>
<files>
<file src="bin\Release\MyLibrary.Extensions.dll" target="lib\net40" />
<file src="bin\Release\MyLibrary.Tests.dll" target="lib\net40" />
</files>
</package>
With this setup, all of your references should end up in the appropriate place in the NuGet package. You still have the hard-coded 'Release' in there, but I'd wager most probably don't distribute NuGet packages of their debug builds anyway.
Did you generate a blank nuspec file with:
nuget spec
If you use that file and then put your dlls in a folder under it named lib, it will package them up.
I had a little trouble with trying to generate a nuspec file from a project or dll. Also, if you manually reference any files in the nuspec file, the conventions are not used. This is probably the problem with nuspecs generated from dlls or projects.
Also, if you are trying to run this from a build script that executes in a different folder, you can tell nuget the location of your .\lib folder via the -BasePath command line:
build\nuget.exe pack nuget\Company.Project.nuspec -BasePath nuget\
Have you tried NuGet Package Explorer? Might be the easiest way:
http://nuget.codeplex.com/releases/view/59864
It seems your problem is the same as this question: Why doesn't nuget include the referenced project when packing?. If so, you can use the -includereferencedprojects option (See http://docs.nuget.org/docs/reference/command-line-reference#Pack_Command).
I recently published a solution for this...
My solution enables automatic creation of NuGet packages when you build the solution where each package can contain multiple assemblies, references to both external NuGets and NuGets created during the same build and even include the source code for debugging.
In your case, all you will need to do is add a new class library project to your solution, reference the projects you want to package, then add a post build event.
You can find an article with a walk-through guide here
and the source code here.
i have some tutorial how i did it with windows and visual studio:
create local folder and call it packages like: c:/packages//lib - important to create another folder in folder call it lib and past there dll.
open nuget package explorer - https://npe.codeplex.com/downloads/get/clickOnce/NuGetPackageExplorer.application
the ui very intuitive just add dll and export it to /lib (for tutorial https://blog.zwezdin.com/2014/building-nuget-packages-with-gui-tool/ it in russian but see on pictures the flow it's about 3 clicks)
it will create nuspec file
open GIT BASH - https://git-for-windows.github.io/ and navigate to: cd c: => cd packages (the path of )
*maybe on windows you will need provide developer options for windows's linux stuff (https://www.howtogeek.com/249966/how-to-install-and-use-the-linux-bash-shell-on-windows-10/)
in GIT BASH enter command: nuget add -source [options]
where: : the full name of nuspec (include .nuspec)
and: the path of folder lib in folder (c:/packages//lib)
after the action ended successfully
in GIT BASH enter another command:
nuget pack .nuspec
not in this folder you have .nupkg file.
How to install a Nuget Package .nupkg file locally? - tutorial how to add it to visual studio.
I had the same problem and I decided to create Nuget which will allow to create other nugets from chosen project.
Package is deployed on the Nuget.org site. After referencing it in the project You need to add nuspeck file to the projects which should generate the projects.
Project with the required nuspeck file
Last thing which should be done by you is invoke command Create-Nuspec in Package Manager. Than the powershell module will take all libraries which are result of the build it will add also the required dependencies and create the nuget in the output directory.
Description about this package is placed here.
I had an issue when adding extra dlls references to a Nuget packages, and testing the package on a sample project, the extra dlls was not being added apparently, no matter the way that I create the Nuget Package.
Then I released that when you uninstall and install again a local Nuget Package with the same version number the changes no take effect, the extra dlls are not added.
So each time you uninstall the package, close visual studio and clear the Nuget Cache,
How to clear NuGet package cache using command line?
Then open again Visual Studio and reinstall the local package to make the change takes effect.
Or make the package version to increase each time to be for Visual Studio to recognize your changes.
For example:
Package-1.0.0
Package-1.0.1
Package-1.0.2
.....
To create a Nuget package from a sample project there are some ways, for example:
Right click to your Visual Studio project and choose the "Pack" option
Then install the nuget package explorer:
https://www.microsoft.com/es-ec/p/nuget-package-explorer/9wzdncrdmdm3?activetab=pivot:overviewtab
And add manually your extra references (dlls files) to your specific targets.
Create a nuget package using a .nuspec file how specified in the documentation:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/guides/create-packages-for-xamarin
<files>
<file src="Plugin.LoggingLibrary\bin\Release\Plugin.LoggingLibrary.dll" target="lib\netstandard1.4\Plugin.LoggingLibrary.dll" />
<file src="Plugin.LoggingLibrary\bin\Release\Plugin.LoggingLibrary.xml" target="lib\netstandard1.4\Plugin.LoggingLibrary.xml" />
<file src="Plugin.LoggingLibrary.iOS\bin\Release\iOsDependence.dll" target="lib\Xamarin.iOS10\iOsDependence.dll" />
<file src="Plugin.LoggingLibrary.Android\bin\Release\AndroidDependence.dll" target="lib\MonoAndroid10\AndroidDependence.dll" />
</files>
In your files part add your .dll files.
And dont forget, each time you uninstall and install again the nuget package from your local source.
Or you increase the version of the package each time:
Or close Visual Studio, clean the nuget cache and Rebuild your project.
In order to take effect the changes.