How to set Repository in custom nuspec

[jherby2k]

I'm using a custom NuSpec file with an SDK project like this, and can't get sourcelink to work correctly.

.csproj snippet:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
    <NuspecFile>Pack.nuspec</NuspecFile>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);Repository=$(RepositoryUrl)</NuspecProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Pack.nuspec snippet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package>
  <metadata>
    <repository>$Repository$</repository>
  </metadata>
</package>

But the repository isn't set in the resulting .nupkg's .nuspec file. Any tips? Is this possible?

My other projects in the same solution (which don't need a custom Nuspec) have it set just fine.

[jherby2k]

I feel like this is closer, but still no dice:

.csproj snippet:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
    <NuspecFile>Pack.nuspec</NuspecFile>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryType=$(RepositoryType)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryUrl=$(RepositoryUrl)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryBranch=$(RepositoryBranch)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryCommit=$(RepositoryCommit)</NuspecProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Pack.nuspec snippet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package>
  <metadata>
    <repository type="$RepositoryType$" url="$RepositoryUrl$" branch="$RepositoryBranch$" commit="$RepositoryCommit$" />
  </metadata>
</package>

it packs, but <repository> is still entirely missing

[tmat]

Is it missing </metadata> tag?

[tmat]

@nkolev92

[jherby2k]

Is it missing </metadata> tag?

No sorry, snippet failure. Corrected.

[nkolev92]

Based on the docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/reference/msbuild-targets#packing-using-a-nuspec-file
Where is the nuspec relative to the project?
Do you set NuspecBasePath?

It looks like it should work. Tagging @jeffkl who is NuGet's hotseat.

[jherby2k]

The nuspec is in the same directory as the project file. It's packing very well, except for the lack of repository. Other substituted fields (author, projectURL etc) are filled in as expected using clunky NuspecProperties properties like in my second post.

I hadn't set NuspecBasePath, no. everything else works fine except sourcelink. Just tried setting it and no difference whatsoever.

[jeffkl]

I'm not able to reproduce the issue

ClassLibrary1.csproj

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
    <RepositoryType>repotype</RepositoryType>
    <RepositoryUrl>https://example</RepositoryUrl>
    <RepositoryBranch>main</RepositoryBranch>
    <RepositoryCommit>1</RepositoryCommit>
  </PropertyGroup>
  
  <PropertyGroup>
    <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
    <NuspecFile>Pack.nuspec</NuspecFile>
    <NuspecProperties>PackageId=MyPackage</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);PackageVersion=2.0.0</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryType=$(RepositoryType)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryUrl=$(RepositoryUrl)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryBranch=$(RepositoryBranch)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryCommit=$(RepositoryCommit)</NuspecProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Pack.nuspec

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2010/07/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>$PackageId$</id>
    <version>$PackageVersion$</version>
    <authors>jeffkl</authors>
    <description>Description</description>
    <license type="expression">MIT</license>
    <repository type="$RepositoryType$" url="$RepositoryUrl$" branch="$RepositoryBranch$" commit="$RepositoryCommit$" />
  </metadata>
  <files>
    <file src="bin\Debug\net9.0\*.dll" target="lib\net9.0" />
  </files>
</package>

MyPackage.2.0.0.0.nupkg

MyPackage.nuspec

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2010/07/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>MyPackage</id>
    <version>2.0.0</version>
    <authors>jeffkl</authors>
    <owners></owners>
    <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance>
    <license type="expression">MIT</license>
    <description>Description</description>
    <repository type="repotype" url="https://example" branch="main" commit="1" />
  </metadata>
</package>

[jherby2k]

Sure that works if you hardcode the values, but I'm saying that source link doesn't fill em in if you don't.

Sorry guess I didn't make that clear beyond posting it in the source link repo

[jeffkl]

Sorry guess I didn't make that clear beyond posting it in the source link repo

🤦 sorry I missed that detail. Can you attach an MSBuild binary log of the repro?

dotnet pack -bl

Then attach the resulting msbuild.binlog.

[jherby2k]

sure, here you are.

msbuild.binlog.txt

[jeffkl]

SouceLink is setting the properties in a .targets which is imported at the bottom of your project. When you're setting the NuspecProperties value in the project, properties like RepositoryBranch haven't been set yet.

It might work if you set them in Directory.Build.targets which gets imported at the very bottom of a project, after SourceLink.

To be really sure, you can just define a target to run which will set the properties during Pack rather than when the project is evaluated.

<Target Name="SetCustomNuspecProperties" BeforeTargets="GenerateNuspec" DependsOnTargets="InitializeSourceControlInformation">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryType=$(RepositoryType)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryUrl=$(RepositoryUrl)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryBranch=$(RepositoryBranch)</NuspecProperties>
    <NuspecProperties>$(NuspecProperties);RepositoryCommit=$(RepositoryCommit)</NuspecProperties>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Target>

The functionality is built in if you're not using a custom nuspec, as NuGet injects a similar target: https://github.com/NuGet/NuGet.Client/blob/dev/src/NuGet.Core/NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack/NuGet.Build.Tasks.Pack.targets#L288

It just doesn't set NuspecProperties, only input parameters to the Pack task.

[jherby2k]

Oh wow, adding that Target block to my .csproj, in conjunction with setting this in the .nuspec:

    <repository type="$RepositoryType$" url="$RepositoryUrl$" branch="$RepositoryBranch$" commit="$RepositoryCommit$" />

works! Thank you.

This should probably be documented, yeah? Can't imagine i'm the only one using a .nuspec.