How to resolve special NuGet version dependency scenario?

[bryan-wu]

Context

I have the following VS2019 solution structure where Project B has a ProjectReference to ProjectA:

• Solution
  |
  L - - - ProjectA
  |
  L - - - ProjectB

ProjectA.csproj

<Project Sdk="My.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFrameworks>netstandard2.0;net461</TargetFrameworks>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="SomeNuget" Version="1.0.8" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

ProjectB.csproj

<Project Sdk="My.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFrameworks>netstandard2.0;net461</TargetFrameworks>
    <MinVerTagPrefix>special-</MinVerTagPrefix>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\SolutionRoot\ProjectA.csproj" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Output of git tag --list

1.0.1
1.0.2
special-1.0.0-preview

ProjectA.nuspec (generated as part of resulting .nupkg via dotnet pack)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2013/05/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>ProjectA</id>
    <version>1.0.3-alpha.0.36</version>
    <authors>Microsoft</authors>
    <dependencies>
      <group targetFramework=".NETFramework4.6.1">
        <dependency id="SomeNuget" version="1.0.8" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
      <group targetFramework=".NETStandard2.0">
        <dependency id="SomeNuget" version="1.0.8" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
    </dependencies>
  </metadata>
</package>

ProjectB.nuspec (generated as part of resulting .nupkg via dotnet pack)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2013/05/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>ProjectB</id>
    <version>1.0.0-preview</version>
    <authors>Me</authors>
    <dependencies>
      <group targetFramework=".NETFramework4.6.1">
        <dependency id="ProjectA" version="1.0.3-alpha.0.36" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
      <group targetFramework=".NETStandard2.0">
        <dependency id="ProjectA" version="1.0.3-alpha.0.36" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
    </dependencies>
  </metadata>
</package>

Goal

Create ProjectB NuGet package with .nuspec dependency on the latest valid version of Project A (1.0.2)

Example of ProjectB.nuspec I want

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2013/05/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>ProjectB</id>
    <version>1.0.0-preview</version>
    <authors>Me</authors>
    <dependencies>
      <group targetFramework=".NETFramework4.6.1">
        <dependency id="ProjectA" version="1.0.2" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
      <group targetFramework=".NETStandard2.0">
        <dependency id="ProjectA" version="1.0.2" exclude="Build,Analyzers" />
      </group>
    </dependencies>
  </metadata>
</package>

Issue

I'm running the following commands at the solution root directory level:

1. dotnet restore
2. dotnet build --configuration Release --no-restore -p:Deterministic=true
3. dotnet pack --configuration Release --no-build

MinVer increments ProjectA's version to 1.0.3-alpha.0.36 within expected behavior. However, I want ProjectB.nuspec to have a version dependency on the latest version of Project A (1.0.2) instead of 1.0.3-alpha.0.36.

What I've tried

1. Using PackageReference instead of ProjectReference
   • This doesn't work since Project A is in a private NuGet feed that Github CI doesn't have access to.
2. Disabling MinVer for ProjectA via MinVerSkip
   • This results in ProjectA having version 1.0.0. However, 1.0.0 is not the latest version (1.0.2) and I shouldn't commit this change to the main Github branch.
3. Setting <MinVerVersionOverride>1.0.2</MinVerVersionOverride> in ProjectA.csproj
   • This satisfies the goal, but I haven't been able to find a Condition attribute for the MinVerVersionOverride element that would set MinVerVersionOverride if the latest git tag contains the "special-" MinVerTagPrefix. Perhaps there's another Condition I can check for if I only want the MinVerVersionOverride to apply when releasing a new version of ProjectB.

Questions

1. Is there an existing solution to achieve the goal? If so, please connect me to the solution. If not, then would using the MinVerVersionOverride element and a Condition attribute mentioned above be the best practice?
2. Should the MinVer command line tool be used to satisfy the goal?

Thank you for your time.

[adamralph]

@bryan-wu this sounds like exactly the same scenario that was described in #500.

This is the best solution I can think of (from #500 (comment)):

Let's say you have two projects, Main and Extension, and Extension 1.0.0 depends on Main 1.0.0. You then start working on Extension 1.1.0, and commit changes to that project. As I understand it, the problem you are facing is that, even though you are not committing to Main, that project starts to produce versions such as Main 1.0.1-alpha.0.123 because of the changes your committing to Extension, even though you are not touching the Main project. You can solve this by "locking" Main to 1.0.0 by adding <MinVerVersionOverride>1.0.0</MinVerVersionOverride> to Main.csproj. Later, when you start committing changes to Main, you can "unlock" the version of Main by removing that property from Main.csproj.

This is a variation of what you mentioned:

3. Setting <MinVerVersionOverride>1.0.2</MinVerVersionOverride> in ProjectA.csproj

   • This satisfies the goal, but I haven't been able to find a Condition attribute for the MinVerVersionOverride element that would set MinVerVersionOverride if the latest git tag contains the "special-" MinVerTagPrefix. Perhaps there's another Condition I can check for if I only want the MinVerVersionOverride to apply when releasing a new version of ProjectB.

The difference is that you are best placed to know when changes being committed to the repo affect project A and when they don't. As long as they don't, you leave the MinVerVersionOverride in place. As soon as they do, you remove it and allow MinVer to start incrementing the version again.