NuGet is a popular package manager used for packaging and distributing software written for .NET and the .NET Framework.

Xceed meta-packages

Each Xceed component is made up of several individual assemblies (.dll) that work together to provide all the functionality.

• Some components use the same assemblies to efficiently share functionality and provide a unified application programming interface (API).
• Some components have optional assemblies that offer functionality that can be omitted if not needed.

For ease of use, Xceed NuGet packages are organized into meta-packages. These are NuGet packages that don't have content of their own, but reference other packages. These meta-packages represent the collection of assemblies that make up a single component.

To use a component using NuGet as the source, pick a component from the table below. The Component column is the marketing name of the component. The NuGet meta-package to use is the name that must be searched for in the NuGet repository. The Effective packages referenced shows what the meta-package actually installs.

Once the package name has been decided upon, to actually add a meta-package to a .NET application, detailed instructions can be found in the Visual Studio documentation.

But in summary, in Visual Studio, load a project in Solution Explorer, and then select Project > Manage NuGet Packages. The NuGet Package Manager window opens.

Xceed NuGet packages contain multiple flavors of the same assembly, compiled for different .NET Framework versions. NuGet will automatically select a flavor as a reference based on the target framework of the application. A little control is lost here but this works well in most scenarios.

The same application can reference more than one component. Because each package has a unique identifier, NuGet will recognize if Xceed.FileSystem, for example, has already been referenced.

On install, the Xceed meta-packages do

• Ask the developer to review and accept the Xceed license agreement.
• Provide a digital signature for each package to ensure authenticity. Individual assembly files are not signed, only the package.
• Launch a web browser to the Xceed web site to get a free trial key for the component.
• Insert a reference to the package using the minimum version, inclusive range, which means it accepts any version at the number selected in the package manager and above, resolving to the smallest acceptable stable version.

On install, the Xceed meta-packages do not

• Manually download assemblies or other files. All download is handled by NuGet.
• Bypass any standard and/or automatic process by NuGet (vulnerability scan, etc). The packages use standard features provided by NuGet.

On restore, the Xceed meta-packages do

• Follow the standard behavior of NuGet package restore. If a package is already installed, it will not be downloaded again.
• Respect package version constraints from an application project or packages.config file.

On update, the Xceed meta-packages do

• Follow package versioning rules.
• Not update automatically. Update is a process initiated by the developer.

Usage without meta-packages

While the Xceed meta-packages cover most usage scenarios, it is possible that more control is needed over which assembly is referenced in an application while still using benefitting from the NuGet functionality.

The component to NuGet package table in the above section shows the individual packages that make up a functioning component. This is the information needed to manually add those NuGet packages to an application instead of a single meta-package. The packages noted as optional can be omitted if desired.

Because the effective packages are unlisted, the package manager will not find them. Instead,

1. Open the application project file in a text editor. In Visual Studio, this can be done by right-clicking the project in the Solution Explorer and selecting Edit Project File.
2. Add a <PackageReference> item for the required package inside a <ItemGroup> </ItemGroup> block. The exact command to add can be found of the PackageReference tab of each package page on the NuGet web site. Each package in the table above is linked to is.
3. Save the project file and Visual Studio will add the package and its dependencies to the application.

Here are some examples.

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Xceed.Zip" Version="7.3.25608.7354" />
</ItemGroup>

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Xceed.Zip" Version="7.3.25608.7354" />
  <PackageReference Include="Xceed.Compression.Formats" Version="7.3.25608.7354" />
</ItemGroup>

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Xceed.SSH.Client" Version="7.3.25608.7354" />
</ItemGroup>