Table of Contents

Switch to Local References

The abpvdev references to-local command converts package references to local project references for development. This allows you to work with local source code instead of NuGet packages.

Usage

abpvdev references to-local [workingdirectory] [options]

Parameters

Parameter Description
workingdirectory Working directory. Default: .

Options

Option Shortcut Description
--sources -s Sources to switch to local (default: all sources)
--help -h Shows help text

Examples

Switch All to Local

abpvdev references to-local

Converts all matching package references to local project references.

Switch Specific Sources

abpvdev references to-local --sources abp

Only switches packages matching the "abp" source configuration.

Switch Multiple Sources

abpvdev references to-local --sources abp custom-libs

Switch in Specific Directory

abpvdev references to-local C:\Path\To\Projects

How It Works

The command performs these steps:

  1. Find Projects: Finds all .csproj files in the working directory
  2. Match Packages: Matches package references against configured local source patterns
  3. Find Projects: Locates matching .csproj files in the local source paths
  4. Convert References: Replaces package references with project references using relative paths
  5. Backup Versions: Stores original package versions in PropertyGroup for later restoration

Example Diff

Here's what happens to your .csproj file:

 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
   </PropertyGroup>

   <ItemGroup>
-    <PackageReference Include="Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc" Version="8.0.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Volo.Abp.Ddd.Application" Version="8.0.0" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\abp\framework\src\Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc\Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc.csproj" />
+    <ProjectReference Include="..\..\abp\framework\src\Volo.Abp.Ddd.Application\Volo.Abp.Ddd.Application.csproj" />
   </ItemGroup>

+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <abpVersion>8.0.0</abpVersion>
+  </PropertyGroup>
+
 </Project>

Before → After Comparison

State Reference Type Example
Before Package Reference <PackageReference Include="Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc" Version="8.0.0" />
After Project Reference <ProjectReference Include="..\..\abp\framework\src\Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc\Volo.Abp.AspNetCore.Mvc.csproj" />

The backed-up version is stored per source (not per package):

<PropertyGroup>
  <abpVersion>8.0.0</abpVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Use Cases

Debugging ABP Issues

Switch to local ABP source to debug issues or understand internal behavior:

abpvdev references to-local --sources abp

Developing Custom Modules

Work with your own fork of a package:

abpvdev references to-local --sources custom-modules

Testing Changes Locally

See your changes reflected immediately without publishing NuGet packages.

Troubleshooting

Package Not Found

  • Verify the local source path is correct
  • Check package patterns match the expected packages
  • Ensure project files exist in the local source directory

Circular Dependencies

If you encounter circular dependencies, you may need to adjust your project structure.

Build Errors After Switching

Restore packages first:

dotnet restore

Next Steps

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