NuGet Manager

Overview

This skill ensures consistent and safe management of NuGet packages across .NET projects. It prioritizes using the dotnet CLI to maintain project integrity and enforces a strict verification and restoration workflow for version updates.

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK installed (typically .NET 8.0 SDK or later, or a version compatible with the target solution).
• dotnet CLI available on your PATH.
• jq (JSON processor) OR PowerShell (for version verification using dotnet package search).

Core Rules

• NEVER directly edit .csproj, .props, or Directory.Packages.props files to add or remove packages. Always use dotnet add package and dotnet remove package commands.
• DIRECT EDITING is ONLY permitted for changing versions of existing packages.
• VERSION UPDATES must follow the mandatory workflow:

- Verify the target version exists on NuGet.

- Determine if versions are managed per-project (.csproj) or centrally (Directory.Packages.props).

- Update the version string in the appropriate file.

- Immediately run dotnet restore to verify compatibility.

Workflows

Adding a Package

Use dotnet add [<PROJECT>] package <PACKAGE_NAME> [--version <VERSION>].

Example: dotnet add src/MyProject/MyProject.csproj package Newtonsoft.Json

Removing a Package

Use dotnet remove [<PROJECT>] package <PACKAGE_NAME>.

Example: dotnet remove src/MyProject/MyProject.csproj package Newtonsoft.Json

Updating Package Versions

When updating a version, follow these steps:

• Verify Version Existence:

Check if the version exists using the dotnet package search command with exact match and JSON formatting.

Using jq:

dotnet package search <PACKAGE_NAME> --exact-match --format json | jq -e '.searchResult[].packages[] | select(.version == "<VERSION>")'

Using PowerShell:

(dotnet package search <PACKAGE_NAME> --exact-match --format json | ConvertFrom-Json).searchResult.packages | Where-Object { $_.version -eq "<VERSION>" }

• Determine Version Management:

- Search for Directory.Packages.props in the solution root. If present, versions should be managed there via <PackageVersion Include="Package.Name" Version="1.2.3" />.

- If absent, check individual .csproj files for <PackageReference Include="Package.Name" Version="1.2.3" />.

• Apply Changes:

Modify the identified file with the new version string.

• Verify Stability:

Run dotnet restore on the project or solution. If errors occur, revert the change and investigate.

Examples

User: "Add Serilog to the WebApi project"

Action: Execute dotnet add src/WebApi/WebApi.csproj package Serilog.

User: "Update Newtonsoft.Json to 13.0.3 in the whole solution"

Action:

• Verify 13.0.3 exists: dotnet package search Newtonsoft.Json --exact-match --format json (and parse output to confirm "13.0.3" is present).
• Find where it's defined (e.g., Directory.Packages.props).
• Edit the file to update the version.
• Run dotnet restore.