Setting up an Nx workspace with nx-dotnet

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

Name: Setting up an Nx workspace with nx-dotnet
Rating: 1.2 (4257 reviews)
Author: layzee

.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

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';"

Add .NET capability

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

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' } };"

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';"

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

Use Nx for Build job

Remove the Restore step from .github/workflows/nx-dotnet-workspace.yaml.
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

Change the run command of the Build step to:

   pnpm build

Change the run command of the Test step to:

   pnpm test

Adjust NPM scripts

Change the build script in package.json to:
```
nx build --configuration=production
```
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

or the affected depdency graph by running:

pnpm affected:dep-graph

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.