Build dependency on cef.redist

[vadimkatsman]

I am building a solution with multiple assemblies with references to CefSharp DLLs (2 main executables and few class libraries with utility and reusable classes etc.). It means that at least 4 projects in the solution include package references to CefSharp NuGet package.

It also means that each time I build the solution there are 2 folders created - x86 and x64 - and then copied up to the final executable. Each such copy is 506M of disc space. Times number of assemblies - 4 and times 2 (debug and release), and we have 4G of dead space PER branch times 2 or 3 of active branches to work with and we have 10-12G wasted time number of team members (say, 3) and we are in the territory of 30 - 40G of lost space, which is not even used for executables since we have setup a single Bin directory where we maintain Cef redist files and browser subprocess: Cef.Sharp settings allow me specifying the location of subprocess at runtime - which I am using even during debugging (per deployment, I will have a deployment folder with browser subprocess and cef, which will be a sibling folder to the cache location).

Hence the question , is there any way to disable copying cef redist files and browser subprocess with each build?

I know the crude option - take 4 DLLs the build truly depends on and have a manual folder like "Vendors\CefSharp" and replace NuGet package references / dependencies with the manual references to these 4 DLLs, have those DLLs go to the repo with the source cod, but then I will be stuck in managing package upgrades etc. so I prefer using NuGet but need to solve these wasteful build conundrum.

[amaitland]

package references to CefSharp NuGet package

If you are using PackageReference see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/consume-packages/package-references-in-project-files#controlling-dependency-assets

If you are using older pacakges.config I'd suggest upgrading to package reference as you get far more control over transitive dependencies.

Hence the question , is there any way to disable copying cef redist files and browser subprocess with each build?

Yes, see https://github.com/cefsharp/CefSharp/blob/master/NuGet/CefSharp.Common.targets#L113

[vadimkatsman]

I followed the MSFT suggestion but have the following problem:

• originally I included references only to CefSharp.Offscreen
• once I built, CefSharp and CefSharp.Core dlls were missnig and I've got a lot of build errors
• once I added CefSharp.Common package explicitly (and modified project file to do all - per MSFT recommendation), the cefsharp.common package still brought \x64 and \x86 folders with cef and subprocess

I think, the approach recommended in the referenced MSFT article refers to assets added as part of the package but does not refer to references to other dependent packages. I will try to refer to cef.redist packages explicitly so they will be part of the project file, and therefore I would be able to add the property.

I will also add other properties such as none in addition to

[vadimkatsman]

I was able to come up with the configuration that allowed me to build and excluded brining unneeded dependencies.
For others who may have the same need, here is the ItemGroup from my .csproj file:

<ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="cef.redist.x86">
      <Version>119.4.3</Version>
      <IncludeAssets>none</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="cef.redist.x64">
      <Version>119.4.3</Version>
      <IncludeAssets>none</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="CefSharp.Common">
      <Version>119.4.30</Version>
      <IncludeAssets>compile;runtime</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="CefSharp.OffScreen">
      <Version>119.4.30</Version>
      <IncludeAssets>compile;runtime</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="CefSharp.WinForms">
      <Version>119.4.30</Version>
      <IncludeAssets>compile;runtime</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
  </ItemGroup>

Once you modify manually a project file, please don't forget to invoke "Restore NuGet packages" on the solution level.