.NET Central Package Management Extension for VS Code

A comprehensive Visual Studio Code extension that provides full support for managing NuGet packages using .NET's Central Package Management (CPM) feature.

Features

📦 Centralized Package Version Management

Manage all package versions in a single Directory.Packages.props file
Automatic creation and management of Directory.Build.props for CPM enablement
Support for organizing packages into labeled categories (e.g., Test Framework, Database Providers)

🎯 Intuitive UI Panels

.NET Central Package Manager

Browse all centrally managed packages organized by category
View detailed package information including:
- Description, authors, and download statistics
- Which projects use each package
- Available updates with visual indicators
Upgrade/downgrade packages with visual feedback overlays
Add or remove packages from specific projects with one click
Remove packages entirely (from both Directory.Packages.props and all projects)
Projects displayed in alphabetical order that maintains consistency

Add NuGet Package Panel

Real-time search of NuGet.org packages
View comprehensive package details and available versions
Select specific projects to install packages into
Visual indicators showing which projects already have a package installed
Add packages to additional projects after initial installation
Smart installation that preserves existing installations
Category selection for organizing packages

🔄 Real-time Features

Automatic detection of package updates
File system watchers for automatic refresh on changes
Visual progress overlays for all operations (install, upgrade, downgrade, remove)
Alphabetically sorted project lists that maintain order during operations
Intelligent UI updates that prevent unnecessary re-renders

✨ IntelliSense Support

Package name auto-completion in Directory.Packages.props
Version number suggestions for packages
Label/category suggestions

⚠️ Diagnostics

Detection of version conflicts (packages with Version attributes in .csproj when CPM is enabled)
Missing central definitions warnings
Unused package detection

⚙️ Configuration Options

dotnetCpm.showPrereleaseVersions: Toggle display of prerelease versions (alpha, beta, rc) in searches and version lists

Requirements

Visual Studio Code 1.85.0 or higher
.NET SDK (any version that supports Central Package Management)
A workspace containing .NET projects

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+X (or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac)
Search for ".NET Central Package Management"
Click Install

From VSIX File

Download the .vsix file
Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "Install from VSIX"
Select the downloaded file

Getting Started

Setting Up Central Package Management

The extension automatically creates necessary files:
- Directory.Build.props - Enables CPM for all projects
- Directory.Packages.props - Stores all package versions

Update your .csproj files:

Remove version numbers from PackageReference elements
Example:

<!-- Before -->
<PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />

<!-- After (CPM) -->
<PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" />

Using the Extension

Open Package Manager:
- Click the package icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
- Or use Command Palette: .NET CPM: Open Package Manager
Add a New Package:
- Click "Add Package" button in Package Manager
- Or use Command Palette: .NET CPM: Add Package
- Search for packages, select version, choose category, and select projects
Update a Package:
- Click on a package in Package Manager
- View available versions in the Versions pane
- Click on desired version to upgrade/downgrade
Manage Project References:
- Select a package in Package Manager
- View Projects pane showing which projects use it
- Click "Add" or "Remove" buttons to manage references
Add Package to Additional Projects:
- In Add Package screen, packages already installed show which projects have them
- Check additional projects and click "Add to Projects"
- Already-installed projects are shown with checkmarks and disabled

Commands

Command	Description
`.NET CPM: Open Package Manager`	Open the main package management panel
`.NET CPM: Add Package`	Search and add NuGet packages
`.NET CPM: Check for Package Upgrades`	Check all packages for available updates
`.NET CPM: Refresh`	Refresh package and project information
`.NET CPM: Search NuGet Packages`	Open the package search panel

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

dotnetCpm.showPrereleaseVersions: Show prerelease versions (alpha, beta, rc) in package searches and version lists (default: false)

How It Works

Central Package Management

Central Package Management (CPM) is a NuGet feature that allows you to:

Define all package versions in one location (Directory.Packages.props)
Reference packages without versions in project files (.csproj)
Ensure consistent versions across all projects in a solution

File Structure

YourSolution/
├── Directory.Build.props          # Enables CPM for all projects
├── Directory.Packages.props       # Defines all package versions
├── Project1/
│   └── Project1.csproj           # References packages without versions
└── Project2/
    └── Project2.csproj           # References packages without versions

Example Files

Directory.Build.props:

<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>true</ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Directory.Packages.props:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>true</ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup Label="Test Framework">
    <PackageVersion Include="NUnit" Version="4.4.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Selenium.WebDriver" Version="4.39.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup Label="Database Providers">
    <PackageVersion Include="MongoDB.Driver" Version="3.5.2" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Troubleshooting

NU1010 Error: "PackageReference items do not define a corresponding PackageVersion item"

Cause: CPM is enabled but package version is missing from Directory.Packages.props
Solution: Add the package version to Directory.Packages.props or use the extension to add it

NU1015 Error: "Package version cannot be specified"

Cause: Package has Version attribute in .csproj when CPM is enabled
Solution: Remove the Version attribute from PackageReference in .csproj

Package Manager shows empty

Cause: No Directory.Packages.props found
Solution: The extension will create one automatically, or create it manually

Changes not reflecting

Cause: File system watcher may need refresh
Solution: Use the Refresh command or restart VS Code

Development

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/vscode-dotnet-cpm.git
cd vscode-dotnet-cpm

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Run in Extension Development Host
# Press F5 in VS Code

Running Tests

npm test

Project Structure

vscode-dotnet-cpm/
├── src/
│   ├── extension.ts              # Extension entry point
│   ├── cpmManager.ts             # Core CPM logic
│   ├── nugetService.ts           # NuGet API integration
│   ├── xmlService.ts             # XML file operations
│   ├── completionProvider.ts    # IntelliSense support
│   ├── diagnosticsProvider.ts   # Error detection
│   ├── commands/                # Command implementations
│   │   ├── addPackage.ts
│   │   ├── addPackagePanel.ts
│   │   ├── updateVersion.ts
│   │   └── removePackage.ts
│   └── webview/                 # UI panels
│       ├── packageManagerPanel.ts
│       └── packageManagerPanelHtml.ts
├── test/                        # Unit tests
├── package.json                 # Extension manifest
└── tsconfig.json               # TypeScript configuration

Known Issues

Large solution scans may take a few seconds on first load
NuGet API rate limiting may affect searches with very rapid typing

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
Open a Pull Request

License

ISC

Acknowledgments

Built with the VS Code Extension API
NuGet API powered by NuGet.org
Uses fast-xml-parser for XML operations
Uses axios for HTTP requests

Changelog

0.1.0 - Initial Release

Package management UI with categorized views
Add, update, and remove packages
Project-specific package management with add/remove buttons
Real-time NuGet package search
IntelliSense support for Directory.Packages.props
Automatic CPM setup and configuration (Directory.Build.props)
Visual progress indicators for all operations (install, upgrade, remove)
Alphabetically sorted project lists
Smart installation with existing package detection
Install packages to subset of projects
Add packages to additional projects after initial installation
Removal overlays in Add Package screen
Package icons with fallback
Update indicators for packages
Modal confirmation dialogs for destructive actions
Race condition fixes for duplicate updates
Comprehensive project usage tracking

.NET Central Package Management

J.R. Bye