CppWithNuGetPackageReference

Example Cpp project that uses NuGet PackageReference (instead of packages.config)

Why PackageReference instead of packages.config?

VisualStudio (for C++ vcxproj) only supports packages.config by default. However MSBuild NuGet integration is done in a generic way, it is just that the VS NuGet integration only supports packages.config.

More information on the benefits of using PackageReferences can be found at the Official Microsoft NuGet documentation: Benefits of using PackageReference.

The Microsoft.Build.CentralPackageVersions MSBuild project SDK allows project tree owners to manage their NuGet package versions in one place. Stock NuGet requires that each project contain a version. You can also use MSBuild properties to manage versions.

How

Example using https://github.com/AArnott/Nerdbank.GitVersioning dependency purely during development.

Directory.Build.props

We store MSBuild settings in the solution root folder file Directory.Build.props since this is an offical (and very clean) way to customize your build.

Add NuGet PackageReference

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Nerdbank.GitVersioning"  Version="2.3.38">
    <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
  </PackageReference>
</ItemGroup>

Run MSBuild Restore

msbuild /t:restore CppWithNuGetPackageReference.sln

Add _NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker

It seems adding a PackageReference is not enough. Because during the build we get an error Your project does not reference ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" framework.

From normal (packages.config) based NuGet package installation, we determine that NuGet is targeting 'native,Version=v0.0'.

And by looking at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\MSBuild\Microsoft\NuGet\15.0\Microsoft.NuGet.targets(186,5) we can understand how a possible solution might look:

... 
<ResolveNuGetPackageAssets AllowFallbackOnTargetSelection="$(DesignTimeBuild)"
                           ContinueOnError="$(ContinueOnError)"
                           IncludeFrameworkReferences="$(IncludeFrameworkReferencesFromNuGet)"
                           NuGetPackagesDirectory="$(NuGetPackagesDirectory)"
                           RuntimeIdentifier="$(NuGetRuntimeIdentifier)"
                           ProjectLanguage="$(Language)"
                           ProjectLockFile="$(ProjectLockFile)"
                           ContentPreprocessorValues="@(NuGetPreprocessorValue)"
                           ContentPreprocessorOutputDirectory="$(IntermediateOutputPath)\NuGet"
                           TargetMonikers="$(NuGetTargetMoniker);$(_NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker)">
...

It seems there is a $(_NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker) that is passed as additional option to the TargetMonikers parameter. Although there is no official documentation on this, it looks promising since it is seems to be used as a possible workaround for 'UAP' projects.

That means we can use the same mechanism to target 'native,Version=v0.0':

<PropertyGroup>
  <_NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker>$(_NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker);native,Version=v0.0</_NuGetTargetFallbackMoniker>
</PropertyGroup>

Technical Details

• VS UI "Restore NuGet Packages" does not restore based on PackageReference

  All packages are already installed and there is nothing to restore.

  However, MSBuild /t:restore on solution/project does actually restore:

    D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference>msbuild /t:restore CppWithNuGetPackageReference.sln
    Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 15.9.21+g9802d43bc3 for .NET Framework
    Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
  
    Building the projects in this solution one at a time. To enable parallel build, please add the "/m" switch.
    Build started 26-1-2019 21:08:42.
    Project "D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.sln" on node 1 (Restore target(s)).
    ValidateSolutionConfiguration:
      Building solution configuration "Debug|x64".
    Restore:
      Restoring packages for D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj...
      Committing restore...
      Generating MSBuild file D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\obj\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj.nuget.g.props.
      Generating MSBuild file D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\obj\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj.nuget.g.targets.
      Writing lock file to disk. Path: D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\obj\project.assets.json
      Restore completed in 390,42 ms for D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj.
  
      NuGet Config files used:
          C:\Users\japj\AppData\Roaming\NuGet\NuGet.Config
          C:\Program Files (x86)\NuGet\Config\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Offline.config
  
      Feeds used:
          https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json
          C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\NuGetPackages\
    Done Building Project "D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.sln" (Restore target(s)).
  
  
    Build succeeded.
        0 Warning(s)
        0 Error(s)
  
    Time Elapsed 00:00:01.13
  

• VS Build with PackageReference restored package fails with Your project does not reference ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" framework.

    1>------ Rebuild All started: Project: CppWithNuGetPackageReference, Configuration: Debug x64 ------
    1>Build started 26-1-2019 21:10:19.
    1>Target GetBuildVersion:
    1>  Building version 0.0.2.18725 from commit 25492f4145c10ea960ec419ae9243811f20a148e
    1>Target GenerateNativeVersionInfo:
    1>  Copying file from "x64\Debug\\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.Version.rc.new" to "x64\Debug\\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.Version.rc".
    1>Target PrepareForBuild:
    1>  Creating directory "D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\x64\Debug\".
    1>  Creating directory "x64\Debug\CppWithN.F88D9F1D.tlog\".
    1>Target ResolveNuGetPackageAssets:
    1>  C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\MSBuild\Microsoft\NuGet\15.0\Microsoft.NuGet.targets(186,5): error : Your project does not reference ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" framework. Add a reference to ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" in the "TargetFrameworks" property of your project file and then re-run NuGet restore.
    1>Done building target "ResolveNuGetPackageAssets" in project "CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj" -- FAILED.
    1>
    1>Done building project "CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj" -- FAILED.
    1>
    1>Build FAILED.
    1>
    1>C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\MSBuild\Microsoft\NuGet\15.0\Microsoft.NuGet.targets(186,5): error : Your project does not reference ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" framework. Add a reference to ".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" in the "TargetFrameworks" property of your project file and then re-run NuGet restore.
    1>    0 Warning(s)
    1>    1 Error(s)
    1>
    1>Time Elapsed 00:00:00.26
    ========== Rebuild All: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 skipped ==========
  

• Installing a NuGet package through the normal UI (with packages.config) results in:

    Attempting to gather dependency information for package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38' with respect to project 'ConsoleApplication1', targeting 'native,Version=v0.0'
    Gathering dependency information took 82,39 ms
    Attempting to resolve dependencies for package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38' with DependencyBehavior 'Lowest'
    Resolving dependency information took 0 ms
    Resolving actions to install package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38'
    Resolved actions to install package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38'
    Retrieving package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning 2.3.38' from 'nuget.org'.
    Adding package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38' to folder 'D:\Temp\ConsoleApplication1\packages'
    Added package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38' to folder 'D:\Temp\ConsoleApplication1\packages'
    Added package 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38' to 'packages.config'
    Executing script file 'D:\Temp\ConsoleApplication1\packages\Nerdbank.GitVersioning.2.3.38\tools\Install.ps1'...
    Could not find an AssemblyInfo.cs file at 'D:\Temp\ConsoleApplication1\ConsoleApplication1\Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs'. Skipping version.json generation.
    Successfully installed 'Nerdbank.GitVersioning 2.3.38' to ConsoleApplication1
    Executing nuget actions took 2,83 sec
    Time Elapsed: 00:00:03.1618944
    ========== Finished ==========
  

• Building end result: Success, MSBuild targets GetBuildVersion and GenerateNativeVersionInfo from Nerdbank.GitVersioning are called during build and the executable is correctly stamped with version information.

    1>------ Rebuild All started: Project: CppWithNuGetPackageReference, Configuration: Debug x64 ------
    1>Build started 26-1-2019 21:46:43.
    1>Target GetBuildVersion:
    1>  Building version 0.0.5.61746 from commit 32f18dae142924cf3d180b5a5cca001cda3a9a67
    1>Target GenerateNativeVersionInfo:
    1>  Copying file from "x64\Debug\\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.Version.rc.new" to "x64\Debug\\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.Version.rc".
    1>Target PrepareForBuild:
    1>  Creating directory "D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\x64\Debug\".
    1>  Creating directory "x64\Debug\CppWithN.F88D9F1D.tlog\".
    1>Target InitializeBuildStatus:
    1>  Creating "x64\Debug\CppWithN.F88D9F1D.tlog\unsuccessfulbuild" because "AlwaysCreate" was specified.
    1>Target ClCompile:
    1>  pch.cpp
    1>  CppWithNuGetPackageReference.cpp
    1>Target Link:
    1>  CppWithNuGetPackageReference.vcxproj -> D:\GitHub\CppWithNuGetPackageReference\x64\Debug\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.exe
    1>Target FinalizeBuildStatus:
    1>  Deleting file "x64\Debug\CppWithN.F88D9F1D.tlog\unsuccessfulbuild".
    1>  Touching "x64\Debug\CppWithN.F88D9F1D.tlog\CppWithNuGetPackageReference.lastbuildstate".
    1>
    1>Build succeeded.
    1>    0 Warning(s)
    1>    0 Error(s)
    1>
    1>Time Elapsed 00:00:02.56
    ========== Rebuild All: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========