controlling component chaos with nuget and versioning

Controlling

Component Chaos

with NuGet and

Versioningby John Williston Perforce Software

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

John WillistonPerforce Software

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• NuGet overview

• Consuming components

• Producing components

• Gotchas and Q&A

Agenda

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

NuGet Overview

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• YAPM: Yet Another Package Manager

• Packages are zip archives

• Originally .NET, now anything

• Discovery, packages, dependencies, updates

What is NuGet?

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Web site/service describes packages

• NuGet.exe and VisualStudio extension:

– Makes packages from specs

– Pulls packages by ID and version

– Pushes packages to publish

How Does It Work?

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Nuget.org web site

NuGet package feed(AtomPub)

NuGet.exe Tool

NuGet Extension

NuGet Diagram

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Consuming Components

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Main NuGet Web Site

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Package Details

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Managing Packages in a Solution

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Adds new build targets

• Pulls and unzips packages

• Creates/updates configuration files

• Hooks up dependencies

• Runs installer scripts (if any)

How Does It Work?

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• How does NuGet track what I’m using?

• How do others get the same packages?

• Do I need to add it to my build process?

Some Obvious Questions

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

NuGet Folders and Files

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Packages.config Contents

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• All packages.config files

• The .nuget folder contents

• Nothing else needs to be versioned

What Do I Version?

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Pulls by semantic version

• Update process prefers latest

• Default strategy updates dependencies too

• Update must be used carefully

Component Versions

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Prefer implicit checkout

• Reconcile before and after

• P4 ignore is your friend

• Be sure to use P4VS

• Isolate big NuGet operations

Perforce Tips

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Implicit Checkout Means +Allwrite

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Problems installing/updating

• Mark as edit ahead of time

• Seek masochist support group

But I Prefer Explicit Checkout!

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Clean to catch old references

• Different feeds for different builds

• Automate third-party package audits

• Scripting catches multiple versions

DevOps Considerations

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Producing Components

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Privacy requires your own NuGet server

• Organizational shift in thinking

• Good naming conventions early

• Understand semantic versioning

Some Assembly Required

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• How do I make my own packages?

• Where do I put them?

• And how do I put them there?

Some Obvious Questions

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• The *.nuspec file

– Useful metadata

– Content and layout

– Other package dependencies

• NuGet tool creates package

• Push with a new version number

Building a Package

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Understand semantic versioning

• Develop components in isolation

• Careful interface design and versioning

• Unit test at least every public method

• Document all public symbols

Development Best Practices

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Automate push on release and documentation

• Automate labelling for traceability

• Source/symbol serving is your friend

• Version all the things! (if you wish)

DevOps Considerations

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

Gotchas and Q&A

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

• Pre-configure Visual Studio

• Relative paths for source server

• NuGet extension problem with P4VS

• Update versioning strategy

• Soft dependencies can hurt

Common Gotchas

Controlling Component Chaos with NuGet and Versioning

THANK YOU!!!

John Williston, Ph.D

jwilliston@perforce.com

@p4jbw

P4Ideax Forums