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This is Learning profile image Lars Gyrup Brink Nielsen
Lars Gyrup Brink Nielsen for This is Learning

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Setting up an Nx workspace with nx-dotnet

#nx #dotnet #githubactions #github

In this episode of Nx After Dark, we're creating an Nx workspace for .NET project by using nx-dotnet. We're also setting up a GitHub Actions workflow.

Follow the instructions below to set up a similar workspace or browse the end result at github/LayZeeDK/nx-dotnet-workspace.

Prerequisites

  • .NET CLI
  • Node.js
  • PNPM
  • Nx CLI

Create Nx workspace 

# Install the Nx workspace generator
pnpm install --global create-nx-workspace
# Generate a blank Nx workspace
pnpm init nx-workspace nx-dotnet-workspace --preset=empty --pm=pnpm --npm-scope=dotnet --no-nx-cloud
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Configure Nx workspace 

# Install the "json" utility
npm install --global json
# Set the base branch to "main"
json -I -f nx.json -e "this.affected.defaultBase = 'main';"
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Add .NET capability 

# Add nx-dotnet
pnpm add --save-dev @nx-dotnet/core
# Initialize nx-dotnet
nx generate @nx-dotnet/core:init
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Configure Nx generator defaults 

# Prefer nx-dotnet generators
json -I -f workspace.json -e "this.cli.defaultCollection = '@nx-dotnet/core';"
# Set defaults for nx-dotnet's "app" and "lib" generators
json -I -f workspace.json -e "this.generators = { '@nx-dotnet/core:app': { language: 'C#', tags: 'type:api', template: 'webapi', testTemplate: 'xunit' }, '@nx-dotnet/core:lib': { language: 'C#', template: 'classlib', testTemplate: 'xunit' } };"
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Create web API project 

# Generate web API and testing projects
nx generate app weather-api
# Tag testing project with "type:test"
json -I -f nx.json -e "this.projects['weather-api-test'].tags = ['type:test'].concat(this.projects['weather-api-test'].tags.slice(1));"
# Set weather-api as default Nx project
json -I -f workspace.json -e "this.defaultProject = 'weather-api';"
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Generate GitHub Actions CI workflow 

# Install GitHub Actions .NET template
dotnet new -i TimHeuer.GitHubActions.Templates::1.0.5
# Generate GitHub Actions CI workflow
dotnet new workflow
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Use Nx for Build job

  1. Remove the Restore step from .github/workflows/nx-dotnet-workspace.yaml.
  2. Add Setup Node.js step after Setup .NET Core SDK step: 
   - name: Setup Node.js
     uses: actions/setup-node@v1
     with:
       node-version: 12.x
   - name: Install PNPM
     run: npm install --global pnpm
   - name: Install Nx dependencies
     run: pnpm install
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  1. Change the run command of the Build step to: 
   pnpm build
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  1. Change the run command of the Test step to: 
   pnpm test
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Adjust NPM scripts

  1. Change the build script in package.json to:

    nx build --configuration=production

  2. Change the test script in package.json to:

    nx test weather-api-test

Dependency graph

No we can explore the dependency graph by running:

pnpm dep-graph
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or the affected depdency graph by running:

pnpm affected:dep-graph
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CI workflow

The Build workflow is run on every push to the main branch.

Remove the condition (if:) from the Build job to enable the manual workflow trigger. We are then able to use the Run workflow button from the Actions tab in our GitHub repository.

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