如何在VS2017及MSBuild脚本中引用NuGet包形式的自制构建工具

Great question! Since you've migrated to PackageReference (a solid choice for maintainability), referencing your internal NuGet-hosted tools in VS2017's BeforeBuild/AfterBuild targets is straightforward and eliminates brittle hardcoded paths. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. First, Confirm the PackageReference is in Place #

Make sure your project includes a PackageReference for MyTool. If you haven't added it yet, insert this into your .csproj or .vbproj file (inside an <ItemGroup> section):

<PackageReference Include="MyTool" Version="X.Y.Z" />

When using PackageReference, MSBuild automatically generates a special property that points directly to the package's installation directory—this is your best friend for avoiding hardcoded paths.

2. Use the Auto-Generated MSBuild Property to Locate the Tool #

MSBuild creates a property named $(PkgMyTool) (the naming pattern is Pkg[PackageName]; if your package name had spaces or dots, they'd be replaced with underscores) that resolves to the full root path of your installed MyTool package (exactly the C:\Users\Me\.nuget\packages\MyTool\X.Y.Z path you mentioned).

For example, if your tool executable lives in tools/MyTool.exe inside the NuGet package, you can call it in your BeforeBuild or AfterBuild targets like this:

<Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  <!-- Use quotes around the path to handle any spaces in directories -->
  <Exec Command="&quot;$(PkgMyTool)\tools\MyTool.exe&quot; --input &quot;$(ProjectDir)src&quot; --output &quot;$(IntermediateOutputPath)&quot;" />
</Target>

<Target Name="AfterBuild">
  <Exec Command="&quot;$(PkgMyTool)\tools\PostBuildValidator.exe&quot; --target &quot;$(OutputPath)\$(AssemblyName).dll&quot;" />
</Target>

3. Fallback: Manual Path Construction (If Needed) #

If you prefer to control the version via a shared property (for easier updates across projects), you can build the path using $(NuGetPackageRoot) (which defaults to the user's .nuget/packages folder) and a defined version variable:

<PropertyGroup>
  <!-- Define the version once for easy reuse -->
  <MyToolVersion>X.Y.Z</MyToolVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

<Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  <Exec Command="&quot;$(NuGetPackageRoot)MyTool\$(MyToolVersion)\tools\MyTool.exe&quot; --arg1 value1" />
</Target>

This works with VS2017 since it uses MSBuild 15+, which supports the $(NuGetPackageRoot) property natively.

4. Compatibility Checks #

• VS2017: Both methods work seamlessly in VS2017, as it uses MSBuild 15 which fully supports PackageReference and these auto-generated properties.
• MSBuild Command Line: Running msbuild.exe directly will resolve these properties correctly, as long as the PackageReference is present in the project file—perfect for CI/CD pipelines.

Pro Tips #

• Avoid Hardcoded Paths: Never use absolute paths like C:\Users\Me\.nuget\packages\MyTool\X.Y.Z—this breaks on other developers' machines or build servers with different user profiles.
• Tool Package Setup: If your NuGet package is marked as a tool package (via the <Tool> element in its .nuspec), some NuGet versions might add it to the system PATH, but relying on the MSBuild properties is far more reliable for build scripts.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者TheRoadrunner