ContentFiles have confusing VS Solution Explorer experience

[karann-msft]

@marqdouj commented on Mon Oct 21 2019

If I am reading this page correctly, using TargetsForTfmSpecificContentInPackage in the *.csproj file is how I can create a nuget package that will add the content files to a *.csproj when it references that package?

I has created a .NET Standard 2.0 library project and was able to get the content files included in the nuget package using TargetsForTfmSpecificContentInPackage.
I then added the package to a local feed. However, when I reference the nuget package in a new project I was expecting it to add "AddFilesWithNuGet.lng" to the root of the project and create a new folder in the project "CSCommon" and add the "TestClass.cs" file.
This did not happen. Are my assumptions correct and that this should work or what am I missing here?

//*.nuspec file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2013/05/nuspec.xsd">
<metadata>
...
<dependencies>
<group targetFramework=".NETStandard2.0" />
</dependencies>
<contentFiles>
<files include="CSCommon/TestClass.cs" buildAction="C# compiler" />
<files include="AddFilesWithNuGet.lng" buildAction="None" />
</contentFiles>
</metadata>
</package>

//*.csproj file
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetsForTfmSpecificContentInPackage>$(TargetsForTfmSpecificContentInPackage);CustomContentTarget</TargetsForTfmSpecificContentInPackage>
</PropertyGroup>

<Target Name="CustomContentTarget">
<ItemGroup>
<TfmSpecificPackageFile Include="ContentFiles/TestClass.cs">
<PackagePath>contentFiles/CSCommon</PackagePath>
<BuildAction>C# compiler</BuildAction>
</TfmSpecificPackageFile>
<TfmSpecificPackageFile Include="ContentFiles/AddFilesWithNuGet.lng">
<PackagePath>contentFiles</PackagePath>
<BuildAction>none</BuildAction>
<CopyToOutput>true</CopyToOutput> //This did nothing; I was hoping it would add this to the files reference.
</TfmSpecificPackageFile>
</ItemGroup>
</Target>

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Document Details

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• ID: 099102e8-c320-ef50-6821-57519684dc98
• Version Independent ID: 1523dac4-419d-613d-2497-4062f9efd358
• Content: NuGet pack and restore as MSBuild targets
• Content Source: docs/reference/msbuild-targets.md
• Product: nuget
• GitHub Login: @karann-msft
• Microsoft Alias: karann

[rrelyea]

There are open issues tracking features that the project system would need to support to have a better experience for contentfiles in VS:
dotnet/project-system#603
dotnet/project-system#604

The .cs files end up being included from the global package folder (.nuget\packages) -- instead of making a copy inside the project.
Today, that file properly gets included into the hosting dll appropriately.
Today, that file could be modified, if you opened it, but it ideally would be read-only (see dotnet/project-system#2141)

We have a nuget.sample\contentfilesexample
And i've just created a PR to update that sample to show building a package with contentfiles using a csproj, instead of .nuspec.

[nkolev92]

Related to @drewnoakes's work.