Using nuget package to deploy single file

Question

I want to createa nuget package with a single file. Is there a way to package a single file and then instruct the file as to where it should be placed within a Visual Studio project?

I was able to make a nuspec file and package a nuget package which contains the file in question. However, it is not possible to be installed inside of a package.

More specifically: I have a configuration file which should be the same across many projects. I want to be able to install a nuget package which can them be installed to place the configuration file in the correct location.

The nuspec file right now just specifies the basics about the metadata. I then run nuget pack with that nuspec file and the configuration file in the directory. This results in a nuget package with the configuration file in it, which is uninstallable.

Here is what I have in the nuget package now:

enter image description here

and the nuspec file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2010/07/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>StyleCopSettings</id>
    <version>1.0.1</version>
    <title>StyleCopSettings</title>
    <authors>Clearspan</authors>
    <owners>Clearspan</owners>
    <description>StyleCopSettings</description>
  </metadata>
</package>

Please post the nuspec file. Questions without a clear problem statement and enough code to reproduce and resolve the problem get closed - there's actually a close reason about this very thing. There's no question whether you can deploy files or not - that's what nuget packages do by definition. Either you haven't specified a target path in your nuspec or the path is wrong. — Panagiotis Kanavos
@PanagiotisKanavos thanks for letting me know. I added the extra information I have available. — Jake
Please post the contents of the nuspec file. That is the definition from which the nuget package is built. Check the docs, what is the value of the target attribute of your file element? — Panagiotis Kanavos
It is currently just metadata, as you can see from the package explorer and I explained. I'm not sure how to automatically run a script to do what I need. Here is the nuspec file: pastebin.ca/2979470 — Jake
Am I supposed to be able to specify a script from the nuspec file? I didn't understand that they work that way. — Jake

Joseph Devlin Joseph Devlin · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-23T17:07:11

The problem is that you are not referencing the file in question in your nuspec. I have edited your nuspec as follows.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/packaging/2010/07/nuspec.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <id>StyleCopSettings</id>
    <version>1.0.1</version>
    <title>StyleCopSettings</title>
    <authors>Clearspan</authors>
    <owners>Clearspan</owners>
    <description>StyleCopSettings</description>
  </metadata>
  <files>
        <file src="$pathToYourFile$\styleCopSettings.txt" target="content\Settings" /> 
   </files>
</package>

In order to add a file to a project via a package you must add it to the content directory of your package target="content\Settings". The content directory of a nuget package acts like the root directory of the project the package will be installed in (source). So, by specifying further directories in our target we can place the file in a specific place. In the above example the styleCopSettings.txt file will be placed in the Settings directory of any project consuming this package. The settings directory will be added as part of the install.

After you have called nuget pack on your nuspec you should end up with something like this

nupkg view

When you consume the package you will end up with the following.

example

Using nuget package to deploy single file

1 Answers