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Thang Chung
Thang Chung

Posted on • Edited on

Upgrade Projects Easily with CentralisedPackageConverter!

#webdev #programming #dotnet #productivity

Context: The SK_MCP repository should utilize ManagePackageVersionsCentrally to facilitate the easy upgrading of NuGet packages used in both client and server projects.

We have found a very cool tool called CentralisedPackageConverter

First, let's install the tool by using:

dotnet tool install CentralisedPackageConverter --global
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Now, let's run it in the root of SK_MCP project:

git clone git@github.com:thangchung/mcp-labs.git
cd SK_MCP
central-pkg-converter .
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Then it will confirm and convert all of csproject to use ManagePackageVersionsCentrally, as shown in the picture below.

CentralisedPackageConverter runs

And Directory.Packages.props created with content as:

<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>true</ManagePackageVersionsCentrally>
    <CentralPackageTransitivePinningEnabled>false</CentralPackageTransitivePinningEnabled>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageVersion Include="Aspire.Hosting.AppHost" Version="9.2.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Azure.AI.Projects" Version="1.0.0-beta.7" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.EnvironmentVariables" Version="9.0.4" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets" Version="9.0.4" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="8.0.1" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging" Version="9.0.4" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console" Version="9.0.4" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Debug" Version="9.0.4" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Abstractions" Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Agents.AzureAI" Version="1.47.0-preview" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Agents.Core" Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.AzureOpenAI " Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.InMemory" Version="1.47.0-preview" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Core" Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.PromptTemplates.Handlebars" Version="1.47.0" />
    <PackageVersion Include="ModelContextProtocol" Version="0.1.0-preview.10" />
    <PackageVersion Include="ModelContextProtocol.AspNetCore" Version="0.1.0-preview.10" />
    <PackageVersion Include="OpenTelemetry.Exporter.OpenTelemetryProtocol" Version="1.11.2" />
    <PackageVersion Include="OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting" Version="1.11.2" />
    <PackageVersion Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.AspNetCore" Version="1.11.1" />
    <PackageVersion Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Http" Version="1.11.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>
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Server and Client projects are modified to use ManagePackageVersionsCentrally as well. Look at the below.

# MCPServer
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <UserSecretsId>5ee045b0-aea3-4f08-8d31-32d1a6f8fed0</UserSecretsId>
    <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);VSTHRD111;CA2007;CA1054;SKEXP0001;SKEXP0010;SKEXP0110</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Remove="Prompts\getCurrentWeatherForCity.json" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Remove="ProjectResources\EmployeeBirthdaysAndPositions.png" />
    <None Remove="ProjectResources\SalesReport2014.png" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <EmbeddedResource Include="ProjectResources\EmployeeBirthdaysAndPositions.png" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="ProjectResources\getCurrentWeatherForCity.json" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="ProjectResources\cat.jpg">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </EmbeddedResource>
    <EmbeddedResource Include="ProjectResources\SalesReport2014.png" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="ProjectResources\semantic-kernel-info.txt">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </EmbeddedResource>
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" />
    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol" />
    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol.AspNetCore" />
    <!-- Core Semantic Kernel packages -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Abstractions" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Core" />
    <!-- Connectors -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.AzureOpenAI " />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.InMemory" />
    <!-- Prompting -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.PromptTemplates.Handlebars" />
    <!-- Agent -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Agents.Core" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Exporter.OpenTelemetryProtocol" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.AspNetCore" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Http" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>
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And,

# MCPClient
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net9.0</TargetFramework>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <UserSecretsId>5ee045b0-aea3-4f08-8d31-32d1a6f8fed0</UserSecretsId>
    <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);VSTHRD111;CA2007;CA1054;SKEXP0001;SKEXP0010;SKEXP0110</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="ModelContextProtocol" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.EnvironmentVariables" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Debug" />
    <!-- Core Semantic Kernel packages -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Abstractions" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Core" />
    <!-- Connectors -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.AzureOpenAI " />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Connectors.InMemory" />
    <!-- Prompting -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.PromptTemplates.Handlebars" />
    <!-- Agent -->
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Agents.Core" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Agents.AzureAI" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup Label="NotUsed">
    <PackageReference Include="Azure.AI.Projects" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Exporter.OpenTelemetryProtocol" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Extensions.Hosting" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.AspNetCore" />
    <PackageReference Include="OpenTelemetry.Instrumentation.Http" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>
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Bonus tip: migrate sln to slnx in .NET 9

dotnet sln migrate <your_solution.sln>
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sln migration

Now, we can upgrade the NuGet packages in Visual Studio. Happy tips, happy working!

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