How to get `dotnet` to tell me the actual dependencies contained in a self-contained package?

Question

Hello everyone. I am trying to understand the .deps.json file that dotnet publish creates. Where can I find more information about this?

If I make a random .net project that just contains the dependency DeepCloner and publishes to osx and target framework net6.0, the .deps.json file lists two versions of many of the runtime dependencies, such as:

...
"targets": {
  ".NETCoreApp,Version=v6.0": {},
  "NETCoreApp,Version=v6.0/osx-arm64": {
  "project/1.0.0":{...}, 
  "runtimepack.Microsoft.NETCore.App.Runtime.osx-arm64/6.0.16": { 
...
  < tons of depdencies, including System.Net.Http assembly version 6.0.0 >  
  },
...
  < but further down in this list we also see: >
  "System.Net.Http/4.3.0": {...},
...
  < as well as all the other "older" system dependencies that is not a part of net6.0 >
}
...	

But the published artifact only contains the .dll for System.Net.Http version 6.0.0 (which makes sense given the target framework)

So what's the deal with listing all those that for sure is not a part of the published artifact?

How can I somehow get a "true" list of dependencies related to my specific framework and RID?

Doing a dotnet list does not show this, only the literal dependencies in the tree, not the actual, resolved versions.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hi @Michael Park ,

Check if the following document helps.

https://github.com/dotnet/cli/blob/rel/1.0.0/Documentation/specs/runtime-configuration-file.md

Best Regards.

Jiachen Li

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