Using nuget packages

When setting up a project to use nuget there are several restrictions: it should work on both Windows and Linux, it should work from the command line so that CI builds will work, and it should also work when using an IDE.

Both MonoDevelop and VisualStudio in their latest versions have the ability to restore packages when loading or building a solution.

This document explains the necessary steps.

Include RestorePackages target

It might be convenient to just copy the build/NuGet.targets file of Palaso. Put it next to your msbuild project file (although this is not required) - in this document we assume those files to be in build/.

Note that you shouldn't put NuGet.targets in a .nuget subdirectory because this will cause Visual Studio to use the MSBuild-integrated approach which is no longer recommended.

The build/NuGet.targets file contains a RestorePackages target as well as some additional targets that will be called automatically to download NuGet.exe etc.

In your msbuild project file, include NuGet.targets and add a property SolutionPath that contains the full path and name of your solution, e.g.

<Import Project="NuGet.targets"/>
<PropertyGroup>
    <SolutionPath>$(RootDir)/$(Solution)</SolutionPath>
</PropertyGroup>

Make your Compile target a dependency of RestorePackages:

<Target Name="Compile" DependsOnTargets="RestorePackages">
</Target>

Add .nuget packages to your project

Use the built-in tools of Visual Studio and MonoDevelop to add or update nuget packages to your project.

Source Control

You should check in the following files to source control:

$(SolutionDir)/.nuget/packages.config
build/NuGet.targets

and the packages.config files inside of your project.

You don't want to check in NuGet.exe (it'll get downloaded automatically at build time, having the advantage that you'll get the latest version), nor the packages subdirectory (that contains the nuget packages that get downloaded; since these will be downloaded at build time it's no use to pollute VCS with binary packages). It might be best to exclude these files in the .gitignore/.hgignore file:

build/NuGet.exe
packages/

NUnit

A unit test project that uses NUnit should use the NUnit nuget package. This will add the necessary reference to nunit.framework.dll.

The project should also include the NUnit.Runners.Net4 nuget package. This provides nunit-console and thus makes it possible to run the unit tests without requiring a separately installed version of NUnit. This is helpful for automated builds.

NUnit can be run by using the following path:

packages/NUnit.Runners.Net4.2.6.4/tools/nunit-console.exe

More information

NuGet package restore

package restore for CI machines