Fable: Allow Fable to works without PAKET

[y2k]

Description

(discussion)

Right now Fable hardcoded to use PAKET
https://github.com/fable-compiler/Fable/blob/master/src/dotnet/dotnet-fable/ProjectCracker.fs#L37

Maybe we need to add some flag to fable-complie, that allow fable to load information about dependencies from another sources?

For example we can compute order of dependensies from targets/.NETStandard,Version=v2.0/.../dependencies in file project.assets.json

It's will be alternative for rookies to creating simple/example projects.

[alfonsogarciacaro]

I love Paket but I agree that ideally developers should be free to use just Nuget if they want. However, unfortunately I'm working right now on Fable 2.0 and don't have much time to have a look at how dependencies could be resolved from project.assets.json. If you could help with that it should be ok to remove the Paket dependency :+1:

[inosik]

I love Paket but I agree that ideally developers should be free to use just Nuget if they want.

:+1: on this.

Maybe we need to add some flag

We can simply fall back to project.assets.json if we don't find {project}.{tfm}.paket.resolved or {project}.references.

Is there any official documentation about project.assets.json?

[alfonsogarciacaro]

Not sure if there are specs for project.assets.json or it's considered as Nuget internals and subject to change any time, which would make it dangerous to rely on it. Maybe @enricosada knows more?

[y2k]

If you could help with that it should be ok to remove the Paket dependency

OK, I try to write some prototype and test it

[enricosada]

project.assets.json is pratically internal. you cannot rely on it.

But what's the issue there? you want to support what exactly without paket? the package ref order for project references?

[alfonsogarciacaro]

Yes, as we use Dotnet.ProjInfo now to resolve the location of the references, Paket is only necessary to get the dependencies in order so we can collect the sources and merge them in a single .fsproj.

[inosik]

This can be closed right? Fable 2 doesn't use *.paket.resolved anymore.

[alfonsogarciacaro]

Yes, Fable 2 can be used without Paket. Although I've noticed Nuget is extremely unreliable to specify a version in DotnetCliToolReference so we will keep recommending to use Paket in Fable projects.