dotnet pack for global tools support for Full framework

[kant2002]

My idea is to have both global tool, and regular application, so non developers could be targeted with app running full framework

Steps to reproduce

1. Create global tool, and add support for multiple target frameworks

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFrameworks>netcoreapp2.1;net462</TargetFrameworks>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

2. run dotnet pack

Expected behavior

Generate pack only for netcoreapp2.1 or provide ability to select which TFM target

Actual behavior

C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.1.300-rc1-008673\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.NET.PackTool.targets(42,5): error : only supports .NET Core. [XXX.csproj]

Environment data

dotnet --info output:

Пакет SDK для .NET Core (отражающий любой global.json):
Version: 2.1.300-rc1-008673
Commit: f5e3ddb

Host (useful for support):
Version: 2.1.0-rc1
Commit: eb9bc92051

[peterhuene]

Hi @kant2002. Thanks for reporting this to us. I don't think we've considered this scenario fully. Including @wli3 to the discussion.

As a possible workaround (one I haven't tried), would it be possible to make setting PackAsTool conditional on '$(TargetFramework)' == 'netcoreapp2.1'?

[kant2002]

Yes, indeed this working. Thanks, that's at least allow me move forward, and don't play with shared projects or additional dependencies too much.

[kant2002]

My mistake. It is actually pack right now without errors

• tools\netstandard2.1\any contains all dependencies
• DotnetToolSettings.xml present and contains valid information (at first sight)

What is not here is

   <packageTypes>
      <packageType name="DotnetTool" />
    </packageTypes>

part is missing from NUSPEC file

For additional information, if this is needed, I specify condition like this.

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'netcoreapp2.1'">
    <PackAsTool>true</PackAsTool>    
  </PropertyGroup>

[wli3]

#2152

[wli3]

This is expected and deliberate. As of today, global tools only support netcoreapp2.1

[kant2002]

@wli3 Please reopen, I understand why I have such error, but it does not cover my use-case, and I think it is justifiable to want create both regular EXE file and dotnet global tool. Not everybody jump on the .NET Core bandwagon, and distribute small EXE with dependency as ZIP archive is still viable option. Why I have to duplicate code in two different projects, then all what I want is create both regular EXE and global tool from same project. I understand that netcoreapp2.0 or net462 would not work as global tools. Maybe technically not the same, but regular console application and global tool is same for me, but global tool is just different distribution mechanism.

[kant2002]

Maybe this should be documentation issue. If such, you could point me to the appropriate location, so I would ask there. And if that documentation issue, I could contribute to it as well, as well I want to contribute here.

[wli3]

@KathleenDollard

@kant2002 thank you. I understand your scenario. Let me change the title to global tools full framework support. And mark it as a feature requires.

Ask for documentation. We have several documentation in process for global tools for 2.1.300 release.

[moh-hassan]

I faced the same problem and I did the following workaround solution:

To avoid creation of shared project:

• The console application is multi-target (net45;netappcore2.1) ASIS, no PackAsTool

• Create new project for the global tool (MyGlobalTool.csproj) : netappcore2.1 with PackAsTool = true
  Add reference to MyConsole project application

  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\Myconsole\Myconsole.csproj" />
  </ItemGroup>
  

  in netcoreapp MyGlobalTool project, create a class with Main method that call MyConsole.Main()

   class Program
    {
    	static void  Main(string[] args)
    	{
    		MyConsole.Program.Main(args); //Main method in MyConsole application.
    	}
    }
  

The advantage of this solution:

• Avoid creation of shared project (Two projects instead of three projects)
• Creating two different packages one with PackageId /content/tool for MyConsole (net45) and
  Another package for netcoreapp2.1 with its PackageId /content/tool (netcoreapp2.1 tool)
  (I need to distribute two different nuget packages: Myconsole (net45)/MyGlobalTool (netcoreapp2.1)

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Found a way to put it all in one csproj:

<PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFrameworks>net40;netcoreapp2.1</TargetFrameworks>
    <PackAsTool Condition="$(TargetFramework) != 'net40'">true</PackAsTool>
    <SuppressDependenciesWhenPacking>true</SuppressDependenciesWhenPacking>
</PropertyGroup>

The resulting nupkg:

• Declares <packageType name="DotnetTool" />.
• Contains a tools\netcoreapp2.1\any directory with files in it.
• Does not contain a lib directory.
• Does not declare <group targetFramework=".NETFramework4.0" />.
• Does not contain net40 binaries.
• Can be installed by dotnet tool install and run.
• May still declare things like the following. ☹

   <frameworkAssemblies>
       <frameworkAssembly assemblyName="WindowsBase" targetFramework=".NETFramework4.0" />
   </frameworkAssemblies>