[Epic]: Central Package Management Improvements for 17.3

[jeffkl]

These items need to be addressed to make central package management production ready.

Issues

• [Bug]: Installing a package in Visual Studio when using central package management results in an error before projects can be modified #11828
• [Bug]: No way to suppress very noisy "The project ... is using CentralPackageVersionManagement, a NuGet preview feature." #11724

Features

• [DCR]: Print sources in NU1507 #11715
• [Feature] Error on multiple entries for the same package ids in Directory.Packages.props #9467

Performance

Take performance measurements for large repositories to ensure that there is no regression in restore times. Also look for any optimizations that can be made.

• Measure performance on a large repository

Visual Studio support

In parallel, we're working with the Project System team to support updating Directory.Packages.props instead of individual projects so the experience in the UI is correct.

Pull Requests

• Add sources to NU1507 warning NuGet.Client#4609
• Set CPM metadata during preview restore when installing a package in Visual Studio NuGet.Client#4642

[AArnott]

Please seriously consider #9464 as part of this initial stable release. At the very least, before deferring it make sure that implementing it later won't require any breaking change that would block its delivery later. It's a very important scenario for us.

[jeffkl]

@AArnott I'm pretty sure #10389 covers this scenario. When you opt into it, any <PackageVersion /> defined will override a transitive dependency version without need to specify a top-level <PackageReference />. Do I understand #9464 correctly? Does that sound right to you?

[AArnott]

No, that's not the same. #10389 is pinning of transitive dependencies, whereas #9464 is about not specifying package versions at all when it can be inferred via the transitive dependencies of another package whose version is specified.

[Nirmal4G]

@jeffkl I also propose the central package management be activated when the Directory.Packages.props or _DirectoryPackagesPropsFile is found and can be imported. Enabling via property manually is just another redundant churn. We can op-out by setting the property but opt-in should be default by the recognition of the presence of packages file.

[jeffkl]

@Nirmal4G I agree, that's something I'm planning on doing for the next release (Visual Studio 2022 17.4)

[edumserrano]

This might be the wrong place to add this info but docker support on Visual Studio 17.3 Preview 3 is broken when using Central Package Management.

When I try to run in Visual Studio the dockerfile I keep getting a prompt to install a package which is already installed. Even if I reply yes to the prompt, I just get an error message on visual studio that just says Error without further information.

If I disable CPM, everything works as expected again.

[jeffkl]

@edumserrano please file a new issue for tracking and include exact steps I can follow to reproduce the problem which will greatly help with the investigation. Thanks for reporting this.

[edumserrano]

@jeffkl I've create this issue and a repo with further information to help debug this bug #11972.

Hopefully it's a simple one.

[andrew-hampton]

@jeffkl is there an issue or something tracking the VS UI improvements so that I can follow the status of that work as well? Thanks

[jeffkl]

@andrew-hampton yes, it is here: #9015

[JonDouglas]

@jeffkl Can we close as completed?

[jeffkl]

@jeffkl Can we close as completed?

Yes good idea!

[menees]

@jeffkl and @JonDouglas, why was this epic closed? I'm running VS 17.3.2, and I still get NuGet preview messages in VS and MSBuild on restores: The project ... is using CentralPackageVersionManagement, a NuGet preview feature.

Issue #11724 was closed by @nkolev92 on Apr 18, but it doesn't appear that the preview message was ever taken out. It's certainly still present in VS 17.3.2 and MSBuild 17.3.1+2badb37d1. So, this epic shouldn't be closed, or its title and milestones should be updated, or #11724 should be reopened, or something.

To a non-Microsoftie, it's extremely difficult to understand why it seems so difficult to get this CPM preview message turned off in VS. :-(

[JonDouglas]

@menees See #11952

This epic is complete as it is already out. We will continue to iterate with the next one.

[jeffkl]

@menees some of the features were pushed to the next release, including the removal of the preview message. As Jon mentioned, the next iteration of work is being tracked in #11952

To a non-Microsoftie, it's extremely difficult to understand why it seems so difficult to get this CPM preview message turned off in VS. :-(

I'm sorry for your frustration, I agree that the message should have had a setting to suppress it. I'll be sure to incorporate this feedback with future messages since they can't be suppressed out-of-the-box like warnings can.