How to use the dotnet-pack --version-suffix with csproj?

Question

I'm trying to use the .net Core tools RC4 dotnet pack command to create a nuget package with a suffix.

I can create "MyProject.1.2.3.nupkg" successfully but I want "MyProject.1.2.3-beta.nupkg".

According to the documentation here the --version-suffix "Updates the star in -* package version suffix with a specified string."

I've managed to find where dotnet pack is getting it's version from - dotnet pack uses msbuild under the covers which uses the <version/> element in the csproj file. For example <version>1.2.3</version> creates a file called "MyProject.1.2.3.nupkg".

If I set the <version/> in the csproj to something like 1.2.3 and specify --version-suffix beta then it doesn't append the -beta but it does build.

If I set version to be <version>1.2.3-*</version> then dotnet restore breaks saying '1.2.3-*' is not a valid version string.

I think I'm close; what have I got wrong?

Answer 1

According the documentation, the Version property override the version on packing, instead, use the VersionPrefix.

<PropertyGroup>   <VersionPrefix>1.0.0</VersionPrefix> </PropertyGroup> 

And use the command to pack solution:

dotnet pack --version-suffix beta 

Optionally you can set VersionPrefix and VersionSuffix in .csproj file.

<PropertyGroup>   <VersionPrefix>1.0.0</VersionPrefix>   <VersionSuffix>alpha</VersionSuffix> </PropertyGroup>