Build instructions in readme.md are complicated and don't work -- please provide a VS project template.

Using VS 2017 15.6.4, I created a new .NET Core MVC app.

I followed build instructions up to the ElectronNET.CLI nuget package part (which is super ambiguous).

I added the DotNetCliToolReference to my .csproj like so (it didn’t say to remove the other ones, so I left them alone):

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

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netcoreapp2.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="ElectronNET.API" Version="0.0.9" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.All" Version="2.0.6" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Tools" Version="2.0.3" />
    <DotNetCliToolReference Include="ElectronNET.CLI" Version="0.0.9" />
  </ItemGroup>
  
</Project>

dotnet restore did not add the CLI package that I just added.

and manually calling Install-Package ElectronNET.CLI -Version 0.0.9 fails because it’s not compatible with this project type: Install-Package : Package 'ElectronNET.CLI 0.0.9' has a package type 'DotnetCliTool' that is not supported by project 'ElectronTest'.

(Also requiring folks to hand edit a .csproj is kind of wacky – please just provide a visual studio template.)

Trying to run the project, it opens a chrome web browser up to the site (not an electron window).

Further details, program.cs:

    public class Program
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            BuildWebHost(args).Run();
        }

        public static IWebHost BuildWebHost(string[] args)
        {
            return WebHost.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
                .UseElectron(args)
                .UseStartup<Startup>()
                .Build();
        }
    }

startup.cs:

    public class Startup
    {
        public Startup(IConfiguration configuration)
        {
            Configuration = configuration;
        }

        public IConfiguration Configuration { get; }

        // This method gets called by the runtime. Use this method to add services to the
        // container.
        public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
        {
            services.AddMvc();
        }

        // This method gets called by the runtime. Use this method to configure the HTTP
        // request pipeline.
        public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostingEnvironment env)
        {
            if (env.IsDevelopment())
            {
                app.UseBrowserLink();
                app.UseDeveloperExceptionPage();
            }
            else
            {
                app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error");
            }

            app.UseStaticFiles();

            app.UseMvc(routes =>
            {
                routes.MapRoute(
                    name: "default",
                    template: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}");
            });

            // Open the Electron-Window here
            Task.Run(async () => await Electron.WindowManager.CreateWindowAsync());
        }
    }

[robertmuehsig]

We updated the readme.

The DotNetCliToolReference is “old” - the new style requires to install it as a global tool:

dotnet tool install ElectronNET.CLI -g

After that you should be able to invoke like this (in the same folder as the .csproj file)

electronize start 

Hope this helps!

[LukeTOBrien]

@robertmuehsig This should be on your main documentation (if you can call a readme main documentation), I just had and same thing and came to this issue after a Google search - Everyone who uses Electron.NET is going to have the same issue