Steps to convert .csproj to new VS 2017 format (.NET 4.5 to .NET Core)

guide.md

Convert a .NET 4.x project to .NET Core

Steps to convert .csproj to new VS 2017 format (.NET 4.5 to .NET Core)

• delete any files inside the project folder but not included in the project
• unload project from visual studio
• edit .csproj
• a .csproj template with nuget packages, nuget info, code analysis, style cop:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
	<PropertyGroup>
		<TargetFrameworks>net45;netstandard2.0</TargetFrameworks>
		<RootNamespace>TODO</RootNamespace>
		<Authors>TODO</Authors>
		<Company>TODO</Company>
		<Description>TODO</Description>
		<Copyright>TODO</Copyright>
		<PackageTags>TODO</PackageTags>
		<IncludeSymbols>True</IncludeSymbols>
		<IncludeSource>True</IncludeSource>
		<PackageProjectUrl>TODO</PackageProjectUrl>
		<PackageLicenseUrl>TODO</PackageLicenseUrl>
		<RepositoryUrl>TODO</RepositoryUrl>
		<RepositoryType>git</RepositoryType>
		<Version>0.0.1</Version>
		<CodeAnalysisRuleSet>..\main.ruleset</CodeAnalysisRuleSet>
	</PropertyGroup>
	<ItemGroup>
		<AdditionalFiles Include="..\stylecop.json" Link="stylecop.json" />
	</ItemGroup>
	<ItemGroup>
		<PackageReference Include="SOME.NUGET.PACKAGE" Version="1.0.0" />
		<PackageReference Include="ConfigureAwaitChecker.Analyzer" Version="1.0.1">
			<PrivateAssets>All</PrivateAssets>
		</PackageReference>
		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.FxCopAnalyzers" Version="2.6.0">
			<PrivateAssets>All</PrivateAssets>
		</PackageReference>
		<PackageReference Include="StyleCop.Analyzers" Version="1.1.0-beta006">
			<PrivateAssets>All</PrivateAssets>
		</PackageReference>
	</ItemGroup>
	<ItemGroup>
	  <ProjectReference Include="..\ANOTHER.PROJECT\ANOTHER.PROJECT.csproj" />
	</ItemGroup>
</Project>

Here a csproj for unit tests (nunit)

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

	<PropertyGroup>
		<TargetFrameworks>net45;netstandard2.0</TargetFrameworks>
		
		<IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
	</PropertyGroup>

	<ItemGroup>
		<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="15.7.0" />
		<PackageReference Include="Moq" Version="4.8.2" />
		<PackageReference Include="NUnit" Version="3.10.1" />
		<PackageReference Include="NUnit3TestAdapter" Version="3.10.0" />
	</ItemGroup>

	<ItemGroup>
	  <ProjectReference Include="..\..\src\YOUR_PROJECT\YOUR_PROJECT.csproj" />
	</ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.DotNet.Watcher.Tools" Version="2.0.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

• Carefully choose the right target framework. See .NET Standard and Target frameworks.

To compile the solution you can run:

dotnet build -c Release

Inside Visual Studio Code use /property:GenerateFullPaths=true to generate absolute file path and allow $msCompile problemMatcher to work.

To create nuget packages:

dotnet pack -c Release /p:Version=7.7.7

To exclude a csproj from package generator add the property:

<IsPackable>false</IsPackable>

To run unit tests:

dotnet test -c Release

Add --logger:trx to generate test results.

Unfortunately this give a warning for each project that doesn't container tests. See microsoft/vstest#705

A workaround is to write:

dotnet test ./tests/Your.Project.UnitTests/Your.Project.UnitTests.csproj -c Release

or run all tests projects with

Get-ChildItem ".\tests\" -recurse | where {$_.extension -eq ".csproj"} | % { dotnet test "`""$_.FullName"`"" -c Release --logger:trx}

VSTS Tasks

On VSTS use these commands:

• Run tests

  Get-ChildItem "$env:BUILD_REPOSITORY_LOCALPATH\tests" -recurse | where {$_.extension -eq ".csproj"} | % { dotnet test """$_.FullName""" -c Release --logger:trx}

• Create packages

  dotnet pack $(build.sourcesdirectory)/*.sln /p:Version=$(GitVersion.NuGetVersionV2) -c Release --output $(build.artifactstagingdirectory)/nuget-packages

• Some feed (like the one hosted on VSTS) doesn't support to publish .nupkg and .symbols.nupkg, it will conflict the second push. A solution is to set the variable "NuGet.UseLegacyFindFiles=true" and then use a pattern like $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/*.nupkg;-:$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/*.symbols.nupkg See https://stackoverflow.com/a/45209008/209727 .

Code analyzers (code linter)

I have choosen to use Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.FxCopAnalyzers + StyleCop.Analyzers. To enable it just add it as a nuget dependency, but remeber to set <PrivateAssets>All</PrivateAssets> to not include it in the dependencies. See also

• https://codehollow.com/2016/08/use-code-analyzers-csharp-improve-code-quality/
• https://github.com/DotNetAnalyzers/StyleCopAnalyzers/blob/master/documentation/Configuration.md

To disable rules see main.ruleset (for both stylecop and fxcop), to configure stylecop rules see stylecop.json.

For each project you should add these configuration inside .csproj:

<PropertyGroup>
<CodeAnalysisRuleSet>..\main.ruleset</CodeAnalysisRuleSet>
</PropertyGroup>

Add a nuget package

cd YOUR_PROJECT
dotnet add package PACKAGENAME

Test watch mode

Add the following tools inside the .csproj of the project where you want to run tests

Exec

cd YOUR_TEST_PROJECT
dotnet restore

Execute tests in watch mode

cd YOUR_TEST_PROJECT
dotnet watch test

Execute a console application (old .exe projects)

dotnet yourproject.dll

Visual Studio Code

If using Visual Studio Code the C# extension is raccomanded and after packages restore a restart of the IDE is required.

You can use the following tasks.json to correctly build the solution:

{
		"version": "2.0.0",
		"tasks": [
				{
						"label": "build",
						"command": "dotnet",
						"type": "process",
						"group": {
								"kind": "build",
								"isDefault": true
						},
						"args": [
								"build",
								"${workspaceFolder}",
								"--no-incremental",
								"/property:GenerateFullPaths=true"
						],
						"problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
				}
		]
}