Package Description

ElectronNET.Core consists of three specialized NuGet packages designed for different development scenarios and project architectures.

📦 Package Overview

ElectronNET.Core (Main Package)

Primary package for Electron.NET applications

• Build system integration - MSBuild targets and tasks for Electron
• Project system extensions - Visual Studio designer integration
• Runtime orchestration - Process lifecycle management
• Automatic configuration - Generates electron-builder.json and package.json
• Includes ElectronNET.Core.Api as a dependency

When to use:

• Main application projects (startup projects)
• Projects that need full Electron.NET functionality
• Applications requiring build-time Electron configuration

ElectronNET.Core.Api (API Package)

Pure API definitions without build integration

• Electron API wrappers - Complete Electron API surface
• Type definitions - Full TypeScript-style IntelliSense
• No build dependencies - Clean API-only package
• Multi-platform support - Windows, macOS, Linux

When to use:

• Class library projects that interact with Electron APIs
• Projects that only need API access without build integration
• Multi-project solutions where only the startup project needs build integration

ElectronNET.Core.AspNet (ASP.NET Integration)

ASP.NET-specific runtime components

• ASP.NET middleware - UseElectron() extension methods
• WebHost integration - Seamless ASP.NET + Electron hosting
• Hot Reload support - Enhanced debugging experience
• Web-specific optimizations - ASP.NET tailored performance

When to use:

• ASP.NET Core projects building Electron applications
• Applications requiring web server functionality
• Projects using MVC, Razor Pages, or Blazor

🏗 Architecture Benefits

Separation of Concerns

• Build logic separate from API - Clean dependency management
• Optional ASP.NET integration - Use only what you need
• Multi-project friendly - Share APIs across projects without build conflicts

Project Scenarios

Single Project (ASP.NET):

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core" Version="1.0.0" />
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core.AspNet" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

Single Project (Console):

<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

Multi-Project Solution (ASP.NET):

<!-- Startup project -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core" Version="1.0.0" />
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core.AspNet" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

<!-- Class library projects -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core.Api" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

Multi-Project Solution (Console):

<!-- Startup project -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

<!-- Class library projects -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.Core.Api" Version="1.0.0" />
</ItemGroup>

🔗 Dependency Chain

ElectronNET.Core.AspNet  →  ElectronNET.Core.Api

ElectronNET.Core  →  ElectronNET.Core.Api

• ElectronNET.Core.AspNet depends on ElectronNET.Core.Api
• ElectronNET.Core depends on ElectronNET.Core.Api
• ElectronNET.Core.Api has no dependencies

💡 Recommendations

✅ Start with ElectronNET.Core for new projects
✅ Add ElectronNET.Core.AspNet only for ASP.NET applications
✅ Use ElectronNET.Core.Api for class libraries and API-only scenarios
✅ Multi-project solutions benefit from the modular architecture