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NuGet - How to include the application app.config file in the consuming applications build output?

How can I get my NuGet package to include its app.config in the build output directory of a project that consumes the NuGet package? Currently it is only copying the NuGetConfigInclude.exe but I need it to also have the NuGetConfigInclude.exe.config file. Note the consuming application uses a PackageReference in the .csproj file. It does not use packages.config.

NuGetConfigInclude.nuspec:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<package >
  <metadata>
    <id>NuGetConfigInclude</id>
    <version>1.0.0.0</version>
    <title>NuGetConfigInclude</title>
    <authors>NuGetConfigInclude</authors>
    <owners>NuGetConfigInclude</owners>
    <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance>
    <description>NuGetConfigInclude</description>
    <releaseNotes>Test Summary</releaseNotes>
    <copyright>Copyright 2020</copyright>
    <tags>TEST</tags>
  </metadata>
</package>

Consuming application project file:

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="NuGetConfigInclude">
      <Version>1.0.0</Version>
    </PackageReference>
  </ItemGroup>

UPDATE:

I have managed to get the nuspec to include the file in the package but on the consuming project it is trying to compile the config file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<package >
  <metadata>
    <id>NuGetConfigInclude</id>
    <version>24.0.0.0</version>
    <title>NuGetConfigInclude</title>
    <authors>NuGetConfigInclude</authors>
    <owners>NuGetConfigInclude</owners>
    <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance>
    <description>NuGetConfigInclude</description>
    <releaseNotes>Test Summary</releaseNotes>
    <copyright>Copyright 2020</copyright>
    <contentFiles>
      <files include="contentFiles\any\any\assets\**" buildAction="None" copyToOutput="true" flatten="false" />
    </contentFiles>
    <tags>TEST</tags>
  </metadata>
  <files>
    <file src="bin\Debug\NuGetConfigInclude.exe.config" target="contentFiles\any\any\assets"/>
  </files>
</package>

Example Errors when building consuming project:

Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State Error CS1022 Type or namespace definition, or end-of-file expected NuGetConsumer C:\Users\GuestAcct.nuget\packages\nugetconfiginclude\24.0.0\contentFiles\any\any\assets\NuGetConfigInclude.exe.config 1 Active

Solution

  • This solution worked:

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<package >
  <metadata>
    <id>NuGetConfigInclude</id>
    <version>29.0.0.0</version>
    <title>NuGetConfigInclude</title>
    <authors>NuGetConfigInclude</authors>
    <owners>NuGetConfigInclude</owners>
    <requireLicenseAcceptance>false</requireLicenseAcceptance>
    <description>NuGetConfigInclude</description>
    <releaseNotes>Test Summary</releaseNotes>
    <copyright>Copyright 2020</copyright>
    <contentFiles>
      <files include="**/*.*" buildAction="None" copyToOutput="true" flatten="true" />
    </contentFiles>
    <tags>TEST</tags>
  </metadata>
  <files>
    <file src="bin\Debug\NuGetConfigInclude.exe.config" target="contentFiles\any\any\"/>
  </files>
</package>

    Important to note that if your consuming project is using PackageReference then the files need to be copied to a folder named contentFiles.