How are lib files referenced in Nuget Package Explorer - nuget

When I add a file to my Nuget package under the lib folder using the Nuget Package Explorer, I select the file via a standard file dialog. So I add all the files under the desired platforms... simple.
My question is, since there is nothing in the Nuget Package Explorer that tells me the source path of each file, do I have to re-add the files when I make changed to my files? For example, version 1.0.0 of "MyNugetPackage.nupkg" has a "net45" lib folder and 1 DLL, MyDll.dll. I make some changes to MyDll.dll and want to update MyNugetPackage to version 1.0.1. Do I have to delete the MyDll.dll from the net45 folder and re-add it? Do I need to create a whole new Nuget package? Or does the existing reference just point to the new MyDll.dll?

NuGet Package Explorer edits an existing .nupkg file which is basically a .zip file. If you change your dll then it will not automatically be included the .nupkg so yes you would need to add your dll again into the .nupkg if you are using NuGet Package Explorer.
Instead I would look at using the NuGet pack command either with a .nuspec file or a project file (.csproj) which can be used to create a .nupkg file each time instead of manually editing the .nupkg in NuGet Package Explorer.

Related

How can I deploy a PS1 script with a nuget package

I have a PS1 script that I use in all my projects to sign the assemblies. Until now I copied this file over to all my projects. Now I wanted to create a nuget package with the PS1 file.
I created a nuspec file and put the file in "content". Unfortunately nothing happened. Then I tried to put it in lib. Still noting happened. When I restore the package in my project no files where created in this project.
When I analyst the nupkg file with my 7-Zip the file looks OK. The ps1 file was in content, lib respectively.
I didn't found anything to this topic online. Can someone explain to me, how to create such a NuGet-Package?
When a project using packages.config installs a NuGet package, the package's tools\install.ps1 script will run. However, this no longer happens when the project using the package uses PackageReference (such as SDK style projects, used by .NET Core).
Similarly, the files in the content folder of the nupkg are copied into the project on install, but only when the project uses packages.config. PackageReference projects use the contentFiles folder in the nupkg, however the behaviour is different. Those files are copied only on build, not install, for .NET Framework projects and on publish for .NET Core projects. Probably not what you want for signing assemblies.
The feature you probably want to use is including MSBuild props and targets in your package. Note that the props and targets file names must match the package id exactly for NuGet to use them. You probably want to use afterTargets="build" at a guess.

Package all content from a folder using NuGet

We would like to use Octopus Deploy for our Deployments. I am trying to package our assemblies using Nuget for the same. We maintain lots of solutions (contains lots of independent projects) and We have our custom windows host which doesn't have any direct reference to the application assemblies. Currently We Zip all the files and extract them to install the windows services. I am exploring a way to package all the content in zip file to NuGet Package. is that possible. What is the best and easiest way to package considering our current implementation. I tried creating .NuSpec file and NuPkg manually using package explorer. But it's not visible and only visible in package explorer.
you can bundle all artifacts by defining metadata inside a nuspec files , nuget package created using that nuspec file will contain all artifacts defined in nuspec file, you can do the whole process from your command line as well , when creation of package is done from command line you can see your package in the same path where nuspec file resides and most important thing nuget package is also a type of zip file , so you can simply rename your example.nupkg to example.zip and verify the bundled contents.

Rename nuget package content file as per target project

While installing my custom Nuget package to target cs projects, I need to rename few content files as per the target project name. E.g. If the target project name is "XYZ.Model" then my Nuget package content file should be installed as "XYZ.Model.EF.tt".
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Handled this via POSH script which is part of my nuget package.

Creating folder with contents in project root

I developed a tool that besides DLL requires a strong named folder with 2 files in solution. Using NuGet GUI I created the folder and populated with files, but when I install package, the only DLL created but folder with 2 files are not. How can that be fixed?
NuGet has a set of conventions that define certain folders inside the NuGet package that will result in different actions being taken when the package is installed or uninstalled.
In order for folders to be created inside the project, when the NuGet package is installed, the folders need to be inside a Content directory. If you look at the jQuery package, it has a Content\Scripts folder with files inside it. This Scripts folder will be created inside your project, along with its files, when you install the jQuery NuGet package.
\Content
\Scripts
\jquery-2.1.0.js

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.