Link to the GitHub issue that tracks the work and discussion.

ToolsReference: https://github.com/NuGet/Home/issues/3505 PackageReference UI: https://github.com/NuGet/Home/issues/3457

With the advent of .NET Core, we need to support addition of ToolsReferences from within the NuGet package manager and PMC. In addition, we also need

.NET Core customers for ToolsReferences and all .NET customers in VS for PackageReference

###ToolsReferences

Packages with PackageType set to DotnetCliTool or set to DotnetCliTool and Dependency are treated as Tools Packages. When these packages are installed, they are added as a DotnetCliToolReference or a DotnetCliToolReference and PackageReference. The following are the key use-cases and default we should use in our UI.

• Packages with Package type set to DotnetCliTool can never be installed only as a PackageReference. Conversely, packages with no package type or package type set to only Dependency cannot be installed as a DotnetCliToolReference.
• If the package type is set to DotnetCliTool only, then by default we install it only as a DotnetCliToolReference but we will provide an option in the UI that will enable folks to install it as a PackageReference as well.
• If the package type is set to DotnetCliTool and Dependency , then by default we install it as a DotnetCliToolReference and a PackageReference but users can choose to turn of installation as a PackageReference.

####UI Users can change the defaults by expanding the options expander in the package details page in the UI. We should use a combo-box prepopulted with the following options and set the default based on the use cases listed above.

Label: Install as:

Options

• Tool
• Dependency and Tool

We will need to enable these options to be passed to the Install/Update commands in the PMC. Currently this work is not planned for the RC time-frame.

Argument - InstallAs

Possible Values - Tool, Dependency (comma separated multiple values)