[BUG] Azure sdk references packages that live in the .NET 6+ ref and runtime packs.

Library name and version

Azure.Core 1.24.0

Describe the bug

The package references packages that are outdated and are a part of the ref and runtime packs for .NET 6+. As such I think they can be removed for those who target .NET 6 or newer TFMs. It also gets annoying when they get copied to our output directories as well. Azure.Identity is an dependency of SqlClient which is an dependency of efcore that is used on my projects.

Why remove the packages highlighted below? Well they could be/are outdated, also they use an unneeded amount of network usage to download them (replacing them with the copies from the ref packs for building should reduce network usage for metered networks, yes some programmers use metered networks).

What can be removed:

• Azure.Core:
  • (Microsoft.Bcl.AsyncInterfaces would have been nice to be able to remove or update to latest version)
• Azure.Identity:
  • (protecteddata can be removed as msal references it, if it’s not 5.0.0+ then the package there should be updated to latest version)

With this cleanup it would make applications using efcore being able to have smaller build output directories which would make the typical dev using efcore more happy 😄. Also keep up the good work on the azure sdk.

Expected behavior

For these packages to not be in the reference to Azure.Identity and Azure.Core (or the entire SDK even) as they are either could be/are outdated (the ref packs are a much better way to get the references at least for .NET 6+) to also reduce the amount of files copied to the consumer’s build output directories (for those who do FDD deployments and not SCD deployments).

Actual behavior

The packages highlighted above are referenced needlessly which then gets copied into consumer project’s build output directories when they are not self contained.

Reproduction Steps

Create a new project that references EFCore for sql server and make an db context to an test database, then build the program and look at it’s build output directory (do not deploy as self contained).

Environment

.NET SDK:
 Version:   7.0.100-preview.5.22227.1
 Commit:    ebd9c5c2b2

Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     Windows
 OS Version:  10.0.22000
 OS Platform: Windows
 RID:         win10-x64
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\7.0.100-preview.5.22227.1\

global.json file:
  Not found

Host:
  Version:      7.0.0-preview.5.22225.6
  Architecture: x64
  Commit:       6387a2dc3d

.NET SDKs installed:
  3.1.418 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (Visual Studio installed this because I also been working on the winforms repo...)
  5.0.407 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (Visual Studio installed this because I also been working on the winforms repo...)
  6.0.104 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (I installed this)
  6.0.202 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (I installed this)
  6.0.300-preview.22204.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (Visual Studio installed this as well)
  7.0.100-preview.5.22227.1 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk] (I installed this)

.NET runtimes installed:
  Elskom.Sdk.App 6.0.0-preview.58.1 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Elskom.Sdk.App] (an runtime I made myself)
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.1.24 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 5.0.16 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 7.0.0-preview.5.22226.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.24 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 5.0.16 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 7.0.0-preview.5.22225.6 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.1.24 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 5.0.16 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 7.0.0-preview.5.22226.2 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

Download .NET:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet-download

Learn about .NET Runtimes and SDKs:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet/runtimes-sdk-info

Visual Studio 2022 17.2 Preview 5.

[ericstj]

cc @viktorhofer

I do think it’s good to target newer frameworks and reduce your dependency set. For any packages which have been absorbed into the framework this is safe and compatible. You can also benefit by using the new API and functionality available in those new frameworks.

PS: The only place to be careful about this is with packages like Microsoft.BCL.AsyncInterfaces – those were not absorbed by the framework and need to remain exposed – or even better if you ever use them try to avoid exposing them by using PrivateAssets="Compile"

[AraHaan]

This is still work in progress due to the PR having some conflicts.