MSBuild features

New features of the Sdk

• Create a custom nuget package (like with nuspec)
• Add shared auto-imported properties, with Directory.build.props

create nuget packages custom (no compilation)

Useful for templates, custom packages, etc. This can be used to replace the .nuspec files

Any msbuild project using Microsoft.NET.Sdk has a Pack target

Is possibile to create a file with .*proj extension (.proj is ok) and dotnet pack it

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard1.0</TargetFramework>

    <IncludeBuildOutput>false</IncludeBuildOutput>
    <DisableImplicitFrameworkReferences>true</DisableImplicitFrameworkReferences>
    <PackProjectInputFile>$(MSBuildProjectFullPath)</PackProjectInputFile>
    <NoBuild>true</NoBuild>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="prova.txt">
      <PackagePath>build/prova.txt</PackagePath>
      <Pack>true</Pack>
    </Content>
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

To create the nuget, run

dotnet pack

The first properties are needed to skip compilation, ignore implicit references

NOTE I added just a Content because dotnet pack fails if the package is totally empty

All the usual Pack properties (like PackageId, Authors, etc) can be used. Also PackageReference if needed.

add shared auto-imported properties, with Directory.Build.props

The Sdk search in the directory hieriachy, auto-import if exists, a file named

Directory.Build.props

This can be useful to add some shared properties, like package metadata for pack

<Project ToolsVersion="15.0">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <Version>2.1.0</Version>
    <Authors>Enrico Sada</Authors>
    <Summary>Merge nupkg dependencies</Summary>
    <Description>Merge dependencies of two nupkg packages</Description>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>