This node is used to specify third-party NuGet packages that can be used to add additional build components, plug-ins, presentation styles, and syntax generators for use by the help file project. If the project will be built on a build server, you can also add the tools and reflection data NuGet packages here so that the help file builder does not need to be installed on the build server. Unlike package references in a solution or project documentation source, these only contribute components used during the build and do not add any supplemental API information to the resulting help file for the documentation sources.
This topic contains the following sections:
Due to a lack of support in Visual Studio for adding package references in third-party project systems, the help file builder project system must handle all aspects of adding and removing them. As such, there are some issues that will occur. The standalone GUI also has similar issues.
If prompted to reload the project because external changes were detected, do so in order to see those changes.
You may need to close and reopen the Project Properties tool window to see changes to the available components in the property pages.
You may need to close and reopen the project or restart the IDE to see changes to the available components in the property pages.
When closing Visual Studio you may be warned about a task blocking user input. Ignore the warning and close Visual Studio anyway.
These issues will only occur when adding or removing the component package references. Once added and recognized by the project system, they will function without issue.
Important
Only component packages created for help file builder version 2021.9.9.0 or later are supported. You may find packages for earlier versions in the NuGet.org package source. If installed in the project, these will not appear in the project property pages or may cause the build to fail. Check the package's NuGet.org page to see when it was published to see if it may be compatible with the latest version of the help file builder.
To add, remove, or update component packages in a help file builder project, right click on the Component Packages project node and select the Manage NuGet Packages option.
Search options can be changed at the top of the dialog to select the package source, specify keywords used to search for component packages, and whether or not pre-release versions are included in the results. The radio button option can be changed to search package sources or just display packages currently installed in the project. Search keywords are ignored when viewing installed packages.
Packages search results are shown on the left side of the dialog box with details about the selected package show on the right. The links on the right-hand side can be clicked to go to the package page on NuGet.org or view the license and/or project site. Icons will appear in the list box indicating the state and options available for the selected package.
A blue down arrow will appear to the right of the package entry if the package is not installed in the project. Clicking the down arrow or the Install button will install the selected package in the project.
A green checkmark will appear to the left of the package entry if it is installed in the project.
If the package is installed in the project, a red "X" icon will appear to the right side of the package entry. Clicking it will remove the package from the project.
If the package is installed in the project but is not the latest release, a blue up arrow will appear to the right of the package entry. Clicking the up arrow or the Install button will install the selected updated version of the package in the project.
By default, the latest version of the package is always selected. You can change the version installed using the combo box in the package details area. When a package is installed or removed, the project is updated and a restore operation is performed to apply the changes to the project. The results of the restore operation are shown in the textbox below the package list and details.
The package sources used by the dialog box are the ones defined in the global NuGet.org configuration file. These can be managed from within Visual Studio by selecting Tools, Options, expanding the NuGet Package Manager category, and selecting the Package Sources subcategory. If you have component packages of your own that you do not want published to NuGet.org, you can use this option to define a local package source on your hard drive or a network share. Your component packages can be copied to this folder for use by your projects alone. This is also useful for testing packages that you have created before publishing them to NuGet.org.