Packaging your libraries for NuGet distribution

Before we learn how to create and package our own libraries, we will review how a project can use an existing package.

Referencing a NuGet package

Let’s say that you want to add a package created by a third-party developer, for example, Newtonsoft.Json, a popular package for working with the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) serialization format:

1. In the AssembliesAndNamespaces project, add a reference to the Newtonsoft.Json NuGet package, either using the GUI for Visual Studio 2022 or the dotnet add package command for Visual Studio Code.
2. Open the AssembliesAndNamespaces.csproj file and note that a package reference has been added, as shown in the following markup:

   <ItemGroup>
     <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />
   </ItemGroup>
   

If you have a more recent version of the Newtonsoft.Json package, then it has been updated...