How can I include different packages in different Configuration/Platform combinations? - msbuild

Question

I have a library that is designed to work with Sap Business One's SDK. The SDK for V10 is different to the one for V9.3, I also have x86/x64 and SQL/HANA builds, this gives me 8 permutations and therefore 8 packages.
The projects that consume these packages will also have 8 builds. I would like to set up the project file and targets so that a specific package is selected for a specific Configuration & Platform. I am trying to work this out, but it makes absolutely no sense.
Currently I have the following in my project file:
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v93SQL|x64' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v93SQLx64" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v93SQL|x86' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v93SQLx86" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v93HANA|x64' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v93HANAx64" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v93HANA|x86' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v93HANAx86" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v10SQL|x64' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v10SQLx64" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v10SQL|x86' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v10SQLx86" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v10HANA|x64' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v10HANAx64" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'B1v10HANA|x86' ">
<PackageReference Include="OchALCommon.v10HANAx86" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
Visual studio indicates all 8 packages and a build process the dependencies of each one - this seems wrong. I also tried this code within a "Directory.Build.targets" file, which initially seemed to work, but then Visual Studio stopped reponding to changes in the targets file (even after a reboot).
We have always used this kind of referencing in the past with Assembly references,and it seems to work, I have no idea how to make PackageReference function. Does anybody know how best to package this library in my scenario?
In an ideal world, I'd want to somehow store my 64 bit and 32 bit build plus some appropriate targets in a single nuget package so that the consuming project gets the right bitness and the right sub project references. Currently I can't work out how to do this, nor get any other workable scenario going.
Again, does anybody know how to do anything like this?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Thus far I have been able to solve the issue by using separate files (.targets) for each ProjectReference, and then ensuring that only those files containing the reference information are included in the project by referencing specific .targets files.
I have then put .targets files into an umbrella nupkg to select which of the actual payloads I want to use. The entire arrangement looks as follows:
I published 8 payload files as follows:
MyLibrary.v93HANAx64
MyLibrary.v93HANAx86
MyLibrary.v93SQLx64
MyLibrary.v93SQLx86
MyLibrary.v10HANAx64
MyLibrary.v10HANAx86
MyLibrary.v10SQLx64
MyLibrary.v10SQLx86
Each payload file simply contains a standard lib/net40 folder with libraries as specified in the https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/create-packages/creating-a-package page.
My consuming project has 4 Configurations:
B1v93HANA
B1v93SQL
B1v10HANA
B1v10SQL
I then have an umbrella project "MyLibrary.Targets" containing content as follows:
##build/net40/MyLibrary.Targets.targets
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<Import Project="MyLibrary/$(Configuration).targets" />
</Project>
##build/net40/MyLibrary/B1v10HANA.targets
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="MyLibrary.v10HANA$(Platform)" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
##build/net40/MyLibrary/B1v10SQL.targets
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="MyLibrary.v10SQL$(Platform)" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
##build/net40/MyLibrary/B1v93HANA.targets
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="MyLibrary.v93HANA$(Platform)" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
##build/net40/MyLibrary/B1v93SQL.targets
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="MyLibrary.v93SQL$(Platform)" Version="1.0.*" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
I also have targets files in this folder, "Debug.targets" and "Release.targets" which use my preferred default library in those cases.
.nupec files for all of the packages are pretty standard as per the above linked Microsoft guide. A default nuspec file can be created with the 'nuget spec' command and can then be edited.
My functional package nuspec files have content in 'package/metadata/dependencies' which identify required packages:
<dependencies>
<group targetFramework=".NETFramework4.0">
<dependency id="CryptLib" version="*" />
<dependency id="SAPBusinessOneSDK.HANA" version="10.0.*" />
</group>
</dependencies>
My Selector package "MyLibrary.targets" does not have dependencies, but does have a files section 'package/files':
<files>
<file src="readme.txt" target="" />
<file src="build\**" target="build" />
</files>
Hopefully this saves somebody some time.