NuGet is a package manager that manages the distribution of compiled source code (DLLs) and other dependencies related to code. NuGet packages are compressed zip files with the .nupkg extension. Visual Studio applications simplify adding, updating, and removing libraries. By installing a setup or extracting a zip file and adding the appropriate assemblies to references and files, NuGet eliminates the manual process of configuring third-party libraries in an application.
The Portal Connector
The Portal Connector is a solution to provide a simple, flexible portal for data in Microsoft Dynamics 365/Dataverse. It is a Two-way integration between Microsoft Dynamics data and the portal giving customers a better experience.
Portal Connector set up without NuGet
To download the TPC build for the corresponding Sitefinity version, you need to have a valid license. Afterward, go to The Portal Connector customer portal to download the Portal Connector builds. Setting up or updating the Portal Connector was a time-consuming process since after downloading the TPC dlls zip package, the user had to manually replace the dll files in the solution's bin folder. Additionally, the user must ensure that the dlls downloaded are unblocked.
Portal Connector set up with NuGet
The Portal Connector being available on NuGet is a game-changer. It simplified the time-consuming process of setting up or installing The Portal Connector. The Portal Connector public NuGet feed link provides access to all TPC package versions related to Sitefinity.
A detailed article about how to install The Portal Connector using NuGet can be found at the mentioned link.
Why do we move to NuGet?
Our passion and desire to give the best possible solutions to our clients using the latest technologies drove us to shift the Portal Connector to NuGet. It was also the most frequently requested feature by our clientele.
How and Why is NuGet Better?
Working with referenced libraries requires much more effort as compared to NuGet. Before referencing them in the solution, downloading binaries and unblocking them for the library is required. If there is a bug or you want to update the project to get the latest updates or features, you must go through most of the download process again. It gets difficult in case the library depends on another project.
NuGet can provide consistency, every library you need can be added with just one click. All configuration you need is automatic, and any dependencies are automatically added as well. Every library you have can be updated with one command. Each package is automatically updated to the correct version considering each package that depends on it.
NuGet provides several additional benefits:
- NuGet provides package updates.
- NuGet takes less time to create a new release and helps to easily manage versions.
- NuGet provides developers the tools to create, publish, and consume packages.
- It does all of this very conveniently.
Common issues with moving from referencing libraries directly to using NuGet in the Portal Connector.
Generally, the issues are with the dependencies. Custom dlls used in the projects may not be compatible with the updates, causing the solution to fail. In these scenarios, you can get the packages by ignoring dependencies if you want to use the custom dlls.
Binding redirects defined in the project's web.config can cause the solution to fail by interfering with the downloaded package versions.
The specified NuGet package could not be found. Clear the NuGet Cache for this.
Some common issues related to using the latest Razor templating features and using the PowerBI Add-on with TPC version 5.3 or TPC 5.2 have been explained in this link
Note: Always keep up a backup of the database before upgrading to a newer version.
Thanks for reading!