Support -ExcludeVersion for Restore and Update commands

[deepakaravindr]

@KorsG

Hi,

Would it be possible to implement the -ExcludeVersion option for Restore and Update commands, just like the Install command ?

[yishaigalatzer]

This doesn't make sense for the restore command (in package.config), but it could be interesting for the update command.

[maksim-dell]

This doesn't make sense for the restore command

@yishaigalatzer, would you mind elucidating why? How can I perform something like this:

cd sln_dir
nuget restore 

and get my packages restored without version?

[yishaigalatzer]

I see what you mean now, you want to be able to "download" packages defined in packages.config without a version, so commands and paths just work without knowing the package version?

[maksim-dell]

Exactly, let us suppose that my package.config looks like

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
   <!--frozen versions-->
  <package id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="7.0.1" targetFramework="net45" />
  ...
</packages>

and the directory structure is similar to

|~sln_dir/
| |~ConsoleApplication1/
| | |-ConsoleApplication1.csproj
| | |-packages.config
| | packages
| |-ConsoleApplication1.sln

and I want to have paths like ...ConsoleApplication1\packages\Newtonsoft.Json\lib instead of ConsoleApplication1\packages\Newtonsoft.Json.7.0.1.

Nor do I want to write a huge nuget.targets file for msbuild with overridings of RestoreCommand variable.

[yishaigalatzer]

When we do support it you will not be able to

1. Use restore in visual studio
2. Have multiple package versions in a solution

[maksim-dell]

Have multiple package versions in a solution

that's not a big deal for my project, this would not happen, "I'm feeling lucky":). The cruel problem that I have is that I have to commit and merge huge distracting csproj diffs in git instead of making a single change in packages.config.

Use restore in visual studio

looks ok to me as well

[yishaigalatzer]

You can start looking at using project.json (if your project is not asp.net 4), it resolves the issues you describe above (see how nuget.client repo is built for reference)

[yishaigalatzer]

also @maksim-dell one thing I just realized you can use install and restore interchangeably, so the main ask here is to support update on command line (and perhaps in vs?)

[jozefizso]

Nuget 2.8 supported -ExcludeVersion when installing packages from package.config file. The documentation does not indicate that -ExcludeVersion is not longer supported in Nuget 3.2 when installing from package.config file.

These commands behave correctly and install the package without using version number:

v28\nuget.exe install Pester -o packages -ExcludeVersion
v28\nuget.exe install packages.config -o packages -ExcludeVersion
v32\nuget.exe install Pester -o packages -ExcludeVersion
v32\nuget.exe install Pester -Version 3.3.11 -o packages -ExcludeVersion

This no longer works as expected without any warning:

v32\nuget.exe install packages.config -o packages -ExcludeVersion

packages.config file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
  <package id="Pester" version="3.3.11" />
</packages>

I find it strange this functionality was removed.

[yishaigalatzer]

That's a bug, not intentional

[rmarinho]

this feature will be interesting.. we need to have more options to work in CI without messing with csproj

[yishaigalatzer]

@rmharinho take a look at this blog https://oren.codes/2016/02/08/project-json-all-the-things/

[rmarinho]

How will that help me? I m not even using project.json.

[yishaigalatzer]

If you move to use project.json these issues go away.

[rmarinho]

Yeah but project.json is going to die so.... and i m running xplat sln with Xamarin and UWP and all that stuff.. Xamarin.Forms

[rmarinho]

I hacked around i manually set the references to the folder of the nuget without version, then i can install a version with -ExcludeVersion on the folder and it will just work without messing with csproj's ..

Our use case is running in teamcity, generate new Nuget's and install them in a sample project to run unit tests and uitest.

[yishaigalatzer]

It is not going to die as a package source (the uwp model, not the aspnet core model). There is a change but will be in how it's formatted rather than how it works. So the pattern is right.

I don't know about when xamarin studio will support it, that's something valid to follow up on.

[yishaigalatzer]

Missed your last comment. I'd be happy to get on a call with you and help out for your exact scenario. Email me at support@nuget.org

[nkolev92]

Thanks for filing this issue.

Given the direction NuGet has gone in with Package Reference and project.json, we believe the core asks in this issue are a more granular control of versioning during restore.

Related issues here:

Please comment there with your scenarios.

#5602
#5553