.NET 8: Make `Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk` an implicit reference

[richlander]

The Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk PackageReference is a pain w/o obvious value. Presumably, everyone wants to have the matching PackageReference for their .NET SDK and/or VS version. That's not the default experience due to the PackageReference.

As a symptom of that, this package is one that dependabot has to update most. Example: dotnet/iot#1556.

It would be great if we could (somehow) make packages we update monthly as implicit PackageReferences.

There is no design here (and I haven't thought about it). This is just a UX pain.

[baronfel]

Definitely in favor of this - a user adding <IsTestProject>true<IsTestProject> to a project should be enough information to add this PackageReference if it doesn't exist already. We would need testing to ensure that we only ever add references to Package Versions that actually exist, though.

[richlander]

Here's the relevant part of a test project:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="16.11.0" />

Ideally, we could just switch the first line to do what you said:

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

Right?

[WeihanLi]

Like it, the sdk name maybe should be Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Test? Just likes Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web
Guess this would fix this issue #3790

[nohwnd]

richlander: Presumably, everyone wants to have the matching PackageReference for their .NET SDK and/or VS version. That's not the default experience due to the PackageReference.

baronfel: add this PackageReference if it doesn't exist already.

Will this allow us to upgrade the package version as needed? We want to ship .net framework testhost in the TestHost package that is a dependency of Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk, so MSTest and other adapters can start start depending on Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk directly to get the correct compatible version for them. And if dependebot upgrades them to latest, they might need latest Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk as well.

So if the proposed change forces a recent version appropriate for the current sdk, or newer, then it is beneficial for us, because we won't have to fight with very outdated version of Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk.

<IsTestProject>true<IsTestProject>

This should not need to be defined, but from the linked issue I see that this is sometimes needed. This is probably unrelated issue that we (test platform) should solve. Correctly user should not be required to define this. Unless they define <IsTestProject>false</IsTestProject> to force skipping the project.

[nohwnd]

Is your plan to make this change in our test-templates for all projects, or am I misunderstanding, and this is only dotnet/* repositories specific proposal?

[richlander]

The proposal is to define a pattern that would work for everyone. We'd make that change in templates and existing projects would need to implement the pattern to get the new behavior. I don't see a good or desired way to retroactively force it on old projects.

[Nirmal4G]

Out of all features proposed for .NET 8, this would be the most useful and underrated feature ever. It would merely take an hour or so to move, rework the .NET Test SDK into dotnet/sdk repo. This could've been done in .NET 5. I don't understand why the team didn't and dragged this on till v8!?

[paulomorgado]

I just did dotnet new mstest and got this csproj:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
    <RootNamespace>dotnet_issues_25797</RootNamespace>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.3.2" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestAdapter" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestFramework" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="3.1.2" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Changed it to:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
    <RootNamespace>dotnet_issues_25797</RootNamespace>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="$(MSBuildVersion)" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestAdapter" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestFramework" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="3.1.2" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Now, depending on the version of MSBuild on the SDK being used, I get a different version of Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk.

[paulomorgado]

I just did dotnet new mstest and got this csproj:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
    <RootNamespace>dotnet_issues_25797</RootNamespace>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.3.2" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestAdapter" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestFramework" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="3.1.2" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Changed it to:

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
    <RootNamespace>dotnet_issues_25797</RootNamespace>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="$(MSBuildVersion)" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestAdapter" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="MSTest.TestFramework" Version="2.2.10" />
    <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="3.1.2" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

Now, depending on the SDK, I get a different version of