NuGet

NuGet is a free and open-source package manager designed for the Microsoft development platform, most notably the .NET ecosystem. It provides a centralized way to create, share, and consume reusable code and tools. Packages are delivered as .nupkg files, which are ZIP archives containing compiled assemblies, metadata, and additional content such as build targets or content files.

The primary public repository is NuGet.org, often referred to as the NuGet Gallery, which hosts thousands of packages. Developers can also publish private packages to private feeds and use alternative feeds such as Azure Artifacts, GitHub Packages, or self-hosted NuGet servers.

Clients and workflows: The NuGet client family includes the NuGet CLI (nuget.exe) and the NuGet Package Manager integrated into Visual Studio. For .NET Core and newer frameworks, the dotnet CLI provides commands such as dotnet restore and dotnet add package. Modern projects typically use PackageReference in project files; older projects may use packages.config. Packaging can be defined with a .nuspec file or, in SDK-style projects, through the project file itself.

Key features include dependency resolution with transitive dependencies, versioning and package retention, and support for package restore to achieve reproducible builds. NuGet also supports contentFiles, build assets, and runtime-specific assets. Security features include package signing and trusted sources verification, with publishing authenticated via API keys.

NuGet integrates with the .NET toolchain across Windows, macOS, and Linux, supporting multiple runtime and framework targets such as .NET Framework, .NET Core / .NET 5+, and Xamarin. The ecosystem is maintained as an open-source project with ongoing development on GitHub and governance by the NuGet team and community contributors.