dotnet pack
This topic applies to: ✓ .NET Core SDK 1.x ✓ .NET Core SDK 2.x
Name
dotnet pack - Packs the code into a NuGet package.
Synopsis
dotnet pack [<PROJECT>] [-c|--configuration] [--force] [--include-source] [--include-symbols] [--no-build] [--no-dependencies]
[--no-restore] [-o|--output] [--runtime] [-s|--serviceable] [-v|--verbosity] [--version-suffix]
dotnet pack [-h|--help]
Description
The dotnet pack command builds the project and creates NuGet packages. The result of this command is a NuGet package. If the --include-symbols option is present, another package containing the debug symbols is created.
NuGet dependencies of the packed project are added to the .nuspec file, so they're properly resolved when the package is installed. Project-to-project references aren't packaged inside the project. Currently, you must have a package per project if you have project-to-project dependencies.
By default, dotnet pack builds the project first. If you wish to avoid this behavior, pass the --no-build option. This option is often useful in Continuous Integration (CI) build scenarios where you know the code was previously built.
You can provide MSBuild properties to the dotnet pack command for the packing process. For more information, see NuGet metadata properties and the MSBuild Command-Line Reference. The Examples section shows how to use the MSBuild -p switch for a couple of different scenarios.
Note
Starting with .NET Core 2.0, you don't have to run dotnet restore because it's run implicitly by all commands, such as dotnet build and dotnet run, that require a restore to occur. It's still a valid command in certain scenarios where doing an explicit restore makes sense, such as continuous integration builds in Azure DevOps Services or in build systems that need to explicitly control the time at which the restore occurs.
This command also supports the dotnet restore options when passed in the long form (for example, --source). Short form options, such as -s, are not supported.
Arguments
PROJECT
The project to pack. It's either a path to a csproj file or to a directory. If not specified, it defaults to the current directory.
Options
-c|--configuration {Debug|Release}
Defines the build configuration. The default value is Debug.
--force
Forces all dependencies to be resolved even if the last restore was successful. Specifying this flag is the same as deleting the project.assets.json file.
-h|--help
Prints out a short help for the command.
--include-source
Includes the source files in the NuGet package. The sources files are included in the src folder within the nupkg.
--include-symbols
Generates the symbols nupkg.
--no-build
Doesn't build the project before packing. It also implicit sets the --no-restore flag.
--no-dependencies
Ignores project-to-project references and only restores the root project.
--no-restore
Doesn't execute an implicit restore when running the command.
-o|--output <OUTPUT_DIRECTORY>
Places the built packages in the directory specified.
--runtime <RUNTIME_IDENTIFIER>
Specifies the target runtime to restore packages for. For a list of Runtime Identifiers (RIDs), see the RID catalog.
-s|--serviceable
Sets the serviceable flag in the package. For more information, see .NET Blog: .NET 4.5.1 Supports Microsoft Security Updates for .NET NuGet Libraries.
--version-suffix <VERSION_SUFFIX>
Defines the value for the $(VersionSuffix) MSBuild property in the project.
-v|--verbosity <LEVEL>
Sets the verbosity level of the command. Allowed values are q[uiet], m[inimal], n[ormal], d[etailed], and diag[nostic].
Note
Web projects aren't packable by default. To override the default behavior, add the following property to your .csproj file:
<PropertyGroup>
<IsPackable>true</IsPackable>
</PropertyGroup>
Examples
Pack the project in the current directory:
dotnet pack
Pack the app1 project:
dotnet pack ~/projects/app1/project.csproj
Pack the project in the current directory and place the resulting packages into the nupkgs folder:
dotnet pack --output nupkgs
Pack the project in the current directory into the nupkgs folder and skip the build step:
dotnet pack --no-build --output nupkgs
With the project's version suffix configured as <VersionSuffix>$(VersionSuffix)</VersionSuffix> in the .csproj file, pack the current project and update the resulting package version with the given suffix:
dotnet pack --version-suffix "ci-1234"
Set the package version to 2.1.0 with the PackageVersion MSBuild property:
dotnet pack -p:PackageVersion=2.1.0
Pack the project for a specific target framework:
dotnet pack -p:TargetFrameworks=net45
Pack the project and use a specific runtime (Windows 10) for the restore operation (.NET Core SDK 2.0 and later versions):
dotnet pack --runtime win10-x64