Skip to main content

NuGet Management

Manage your NuGet packages directly from the VS Code environment.

NuGet Management

Overview​

The NuGet Management feature allows you to:

  • Browse and search for NuGet packages
  • Install packages to your projects
  • Update existing packages
  • Remove unwanted packages
  • Manage package versions across your solution

Accessing the NuGet Manager​

There are several ways to access the NuGet Package Manager:

  1. Solution Explorer: Right-click on a project or solution and select "Manage NuGet Packages"
  2. Command Palette: Press Ctrl+Shift+P and type "NuGet Manager: Open Package Manager"
  3. Dependencies Node: Right-click on the "Dependencies" or "Packages" node in the Solution Explorer

Package Installation​

To install a new NuGet package:

  1. Open the NuGet Package Manager
  2. Switch to the "Browse" tab
  3. Search for a package by name
  4. Select the package from the search results
  5. Choose a version from the dropdown menu
  6. Select which projects should receive the package
  7. Click "Install" to add the package

Managing Existing Packages​

Viewing Installed Packages​

  1. Open the NuGet Package Manager
  2. Switch to the "Installed" tab
  3. View all installed packages across your solution or in specific projects

Updating Packages​

  1. Open the NuGet Package Manager
  2. Switch to the "Updates" tab to see available updates
  3. Select the packages you wish to update
  4. Choose the version to update to
  5. Click "Update" to apply the changes

Removing Packages​

There are two ways to remove packages:

Via the NuGet Manager:

  1. Open the NuGet Package Manager
  2. Switch to the "Installed" tab
  3. Select the package you wish to remove
  4. Click "Uninstall" to remove the package

Via the Solution Explorer:

  1. Expand a project's "Dependencies" or "Packages" node
  2. Right-click on the package you want to remove
  3. Select "Remove this package" from the context menu

Package Sources​

The NuGet Manager uses the same package sources as configured in your NuGet settings:

  1. Default sources like nuget.org
  2. Custom sources from your nuget.config file

To manage package sources:

  1. Open the NuGet Manager
  2. Click the settings icon in the top-right corner
  3. Select "Configure Package Sources"
  4. Add, edit, or remove package sources as needed

Restoring Packages​

To restore packages for a project or solution:

  1. Right-click on a project or solution in the Solution Explorer
  2. Select "Restore NuGet packages"

Package Management in Solution Explorer​

The Solution Explorer provides a hierarchical view of your packages:

  1. Each project has a "Dependencies" node with a "Packages" sub-node
  2. Expand the "Packages" node to see all installed NuGet packages
  3. Right-click on any package to:
    • View package information
    • Update the package
    • Remove the package

Using Package Versions in Multiple Projects​

To ensure consistent package versions across projects:

  1. Open the NuGet Manager at the solution level
  2. When installing or updating packages, select multiple projects
  3. The same version will be applied to all selected projects

Troubleshooting​

If you encounter issues with NuGet packages:

  1. Try restoring packages manually
  2. Check the Output panel (Ctrl+Shift+U) for NuGet errors
  3. Verify your package sources are accessible
  4. Check for any package conflicts in the Error List
  5. Make sure your projects target compatible frameworks for the packages