NuGet NuGet Tools

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To work with NuGet, as a package consumer or creator, you can use a command-line interface (CLI) tools as well as NuGet features in Visual Studio.

NuGet provides a variety of tools used by both creators and consumers.

Tool Platforms Applicable Scenarios Description
nuget.exe CLI All Creation, Consumption Provides all NuGet capabilities, with some commands applying specifically to package creators, some applying only to consumers, and others applying to both.
dotnet CLI All Creation, Consumption Provides certain NuGet CLI capabilities directly within the .NET Core toolchain. As with the NuGet CLI, the dotnet CLI does not interact with Visual Studio projects.
Package Manager Console Visual Studio on Windows Consumption Provides PowerShell commands for installing and managing packages in Visual Studio projects.
Package Manager UI Visual Studio on Windows Consumption Provides an easy-to-use UI for installing and managing packages in Visual Studio projects.
Manage NuGet UI Visual Studio for Mac Consumption Provide an easy-to-use UI for installing and managing packages in Visual Studio for Mac projects.
MSBuild Windows Creation, Consumption Provides the ability to create packages and restore packages used in a project directly through the MSBuild toolchain.


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