Extends the NuGet Addin for MonoDevelop, Xamarin Studio and Visual Studio for Mac

Adds some extra features to the NuGet addin that are not currently built-in.

These features are experimental, subject to change, removal, and should be considered alpha quality.

Features Overview

• Installing a NuGet package from the unified search
• Listing Portable Class Libraries available on the local machine
• Installing, updating, uninstalling NuGet packages for multiple projects in one step.
• PowerShell console window - powered by PowerShell Core.

Requirements

• MonoDevelop 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0
• Xamarin Studio 5.0, 6.0
• Visual Studio for Mac 7.0, 8.0

The NuGet Package Management Extensions addin published on the main addin server does not work for Visual Studio Mac 7.1 or 7.2. The main symptom that NuGet Package Management extensions addin does not support the version of Visual Studio for Mac being used is the Manage Packages dialog not opening when its menu is selected. Addins that work are available from a separate Addin Server urls available for each version. Details on configuring the addin server is available from:

https://github.com/mrward/monodevelop-addins

Alternatively the addin can be downloaded, from the following download links, and installed using the Install from file button in the Extension Manager dialog:

Visual Studio for Mac 7.1.0.1178 and later

• NuGet Package Management Extensions addin 0.12.3

Visual Studio for Mac 7.2.0.617 and later

• NuGet Package Management Extensions addin 0.12.5

Visual Studio for Mac 7.3.0.797 and later

• NuGet Package Management Extensions addin 0.12.6

Installation

The addin is available from the MonoDevelop addin repository. To install the addin:

• Open the Extension Manager dialog.
• Select the Gallery tab.
• Select Visual Studio Extension Repository (Beta channel) from the drop down list.
• Expand IDE extensions.
• Select NuGet Package Management Extensions.
• Click the Refresh button if the addin is not visible.
• Click Install... to install the addin.

Please make sure you close the IDE and then re-open it before opening the new Package Console window otherwise the IDE will crash.

Features

In the following sections the features are covered in more detail.

Install a NuGet package from the unified search

To install the latest version of a NuGet package

• Make sure the project is selected in the Solution window.
• Type the package id into the unified search.
• Select Add Package from the list in the pop-up window.

The NuGet package will then be installed in the background.

To install a specific version of the package you can use the -version option:

   automapper -version 2.2.1

The status bar will be updated as the install progresses. Errors will be displayed in the Package Console.

The unified search is available at the top right of the main IDE window.

Package search category

As a variation on how to add a package as described in the previous section, there is also a package search category which also allows you to add a package. Here the search category tag nuget or package must be typed in followed by the colon character. After the tag you can specify a package id and optionally the version number.

To add a package to a project

• Make sure the project is selected in the Solution window.
• Type the package: or nuget: followed by the package id into the unified search.
• Select Add Package from the list in the pop-up window.

A specific package version can be installed by typing the version number after the package id.

Listing Portable Class Libraries Installed

To see a list of the .NET Portable Class libraries available on the local machine, from the unified search select List Portable Class Libraries.

This runs the Mono Portable Class Library command line utility which will look for portable class libraries installed on the local machine. The results are displayed in the Package Console.

Managing Packages for the Solution

Note that Visual Studio for Mac 8.3 now includes support for managing NuGet packages for the solution. The Manage Packages dialog has been removed from the NuGet extensions addin in version 0.20 and later.

The NuGet addin that is available for Xamarin Studio 4 included the ability to manage packages for the solution. You could install, update or uninstall packages for multiple projects in one step. This feature was removed in later versions but has been made available by the extension addin.

To open the Manage Packages dialog:

• Make sure the solution is selected in the Solution window.
• Right click the solution and select Manage NuGet Packages.
• Or select Manage NuGet Packages from the Project menu.

Install a package into multiple projects

• Select the package in the Browse tab.
• Click the Add Package button.

Then a Select Projects dialog will be displayed.

Tick the projects you want to install the package and click OK.

Uninstalling a package from multiple projects

To uninstall a package from multiple projects:

• Open the Manage Packages dialog.
• Select the Installed tab.
• Select the package you want to uninstall.
• Click the Remove Package button.
• Untick the projects you want the package to be uninstalled from.
• Click OK.

PowerShell Console Window

Please make sure you have closed and re-opened IDE after the addin has been installed before trying to open the PowerShell Console window otherwise the IDE may crash.

To open the console window, from the View menu select Pads, then select Package Console Extension.

From the top of the Package Console Extension window you can choose a package source or a project. You can also clear the text from the Package Console by clicking the Clear Console button.

From the console itself you can run the standard NuGet commands:

• Install-Package
• Uninstall-Package
• Update-Package
• Get-Package
• Get-Project
• Find-Package
• Open-PackagePage
• Sync-Package

The console uses PowerShell Core

When you install, uninstall or update a NuGet package the console will run the init.ps1, install.ps1 and uninstall.ps1 scripts that the NuGet package contains.

Limitations:

• Visual Studio EnvDTE API implementation is incomplete

The Visual Studio EnvDTE API is partially implemented. Whilst Entity Framework Core is supported other PowerShell scripts included with NuGet packages may not work.

• Password protected NuGet package sources are not supported in the following PowerShell commands:
  • Find-Package
  • Get-Package

Note that the other NuGet PowerShell commands are supported.

The NuGet extensions addin will not send usernames and passwords to the PowerShell Core host console application. .NET Core also does not support decrypting passwords stored in the NuGet.Config file.

The Find-Package and Get-Package commands all run completely within PowerShell hosted in the .NET Core console application.

The other commands work since they run partially within Visual for Mac where actions involving password protected NuGet package sources are supported.

• Requires .NET Core 2.1 SDK to be installed