Creating a plugin project will copy dependencies of your plugin base to the plugins output

[tisis2]

Describe the bug

i created a plugin like is described in https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tutorials/creating-app-with-plugin-support
this will still cause dependencies of your PluginBase to be copied to the output of your Plugin project. in the Plugin project <Private>false</Private> is added to avoid the dll of PluginBase being copied but its dependencies will still be copied.

i created a small sample to illustrate that issue: PluginSample.zip
here is the tree that gets built:

SolutionDirectory
|   PluginSample.sln
|
+---Plugin
|   |   ...
|   +---bin
|   |   \---Debug
|   |       \---net6.0
|   |               Plugin.deps.json
|   |               Plugin.dll
|   |               Plugin.pdb
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.dll <-------- Should not be here
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.pdb <-------- Should not be here
|   |               PluginDependency.dll
|   |               PluginDependency.pdb
|   \---obj
|       ...
|
+---PluginBase
|   |   ...
|   +---bin
|   |   \---Debug
|   |       \---net6.0
|   |               PluginBase.deps.json
|   |               PluginBase.dll
|   |               PluginBase.pdb
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.dll
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.pdb
|   \---obj
|       ...
|
+---PluginBaseDependency
|   |   ...
|   +---bin
|   |   \---Debug
|   |       \---net6.0
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.deps.json
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.dll
|   |               PluginBaseDependency.pdb
|   \---obj
|       ...
|
+---PluginDependency
|   |   ...
|   +---bin
|   |   \---Debug
|   |       \---net6.0
|   |               PluginDependency.deps.json
|   |               PluginDependency.dll
|   |               PluginDependency.pdb
|   \---obj
|       ...
|
\---PluginSampleApp
    |   ...
    +---bin
    |   \---Debug
    |       \---net6.0
    |           |   PluginBase.dll
    |           |   PluginBase.pdb
    |           |   PluginBaseDependency.dll
    |           |   PluginBaseDependency.pdb
    |           |   PluginSampleApp.deps.json
    |           |   PluginSampleApp.dll
    |           |   PluginSampleApp.exe
    |           |   PluginSampleApp.pdb
    |           |   PluginSampleApp.runtimeconfig.json
    |           \---plugins
    \---obj
        ...

since the dependencies of the PluginBase is already part of your application, they should not be copied to the output of your plugin. they should be used from your application like it is with the PluginBase itself

To Reproduce

• create a plugin as described here https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tutorials/creating-app-with-plugin-support
• or just use the sample

Further technical details

• Include the output of dotnet --info

dotnet --info
.NET SDK:
 Version:   7.0.202
 Commit:    6c74320bc3

Laufzeitumgebung:
 OS Name:     Windows
 OS Version:  10.0.19045
 OS Platform: Windows
 RID:         win10-x64
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\7.0.202\

Host:
  Version:      7.0.4
  Architecture: x64
  Commit:       0a396acafe

.NET SDKs installed:
  6.0.401 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  6.0.402 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  6.0.407 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  7.0.100 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
  7.0.202 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 7.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 7.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 7.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

Other architectures found:
  x86   [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet]
    registered at [HKLM\SOFTWARE\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x86\InstallLocation]

Environment variables:
  Not set

global.json file:
  Not found

• The IDE (VS / VS Code/ VS4Mac) you're running on, and its version
  • VS2022(17.5.3) and Rider but it should not matter actually

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

I couldn't figure out the best area label to add to this issue. If you have write-permissions please help me learn by adding exactly one area label.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Same result with <IncludeAssets>compile</IncludeAssets>, using .NET SDK 8.0.100-preview.1.23115.2.

dotnet/msbuild#4371 (comment) suggests setting <DisableTransitiveProjectReferences>true</DisableTransitiveProjectReferences>. That does not work here as is, because Plugin uses a type defined in PluginBaseDependency and so needs some kind of reference to it. If you add a direct reference to PluginBaseDependency as well, then it's OK:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

    <PropertyGroup>
        <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
        <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
        <DisableTransitiveProjectReferences>true</DisableTransitiveProjectReferences>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <ProjectReference Include="..\PluginBase\PluginBase.csproj">
            <Private>false</Private>
            <ExcludeAssets>runtime</ExcludeAssets>
        </ProjectReference>

        <ProjectReference Include="..\PluginBaseDependency\PluginBaseDependency.csproj">
            <Private>false</Private>
            <ExcludeAssets>runtime</ExcludeAssets>
        </ProjectReference>
        
        <ProjectReference Include="..\PluginDependency\PluginDependency.csproj" />
    </ItemGroup>

</Project>

I do feel there should be a better way to control this, though.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Also related dotnet/msbuild#8494 and dotnet/msbuild#8507.

[marcpopMSFT]

@nkolev92 @JonDouglas Is there a way to disable transitive package reference copy in this case? Is this a feature update needed in NuGet?

[nkolev92]

There's no knobs for controlling transitivity in any way right now.

IE, you can't specify includeassets/excludeassets for transitive packages or anything like that.

I think I've seen related issues, but I was unable to find it.

[marcpopMSFT]

Thanks. Sounds like there's no built in way to do this today. Moving to the backlog to gather additional feedback for consideration in the future.

[Kkamikadzee]

I encountered a similar problem, the issue is in the backlog and you can’t expect a solution? Can anyone share workarounds to solve the problem?