apex-migration

name

apex-migration

description

Migrate NuGet PowerShell E2E tests to C# Apex tests or unit tests. Use this skill whenever the user asks to migrate, convert, or port a PowerShell end-to-end test from test/EndToEnd/tests/ to an Apex test in test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/ or to a unit test in test/NuGet.Clients.Tests/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test/. Also trigger when the user mentions "Apex test", "migrate PS test", "E2E test migration", "PMC test", "cmdlet unit test", "PowerShell unit test", or references any PowerShell test function like Install-PackageTest or Update-PackageTest and wants it rewritten in C#. Even if the user just says "migrate this test" while looking at a PS E2E file, use this skill. Also trigger whenever the user wants to write a new Apex test or a new PMC cmdlet unit test.

Migrating PowerShell E2E Tests to Apex Tests

PowerShell E2E tests live in test/EndToEnd/tests/. Apex tests live in test/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGet.Tests.Apex/NuGetEndToEndTests/. The goal is to migrate PS tests to C# Apex tests that run the exact same scenario, then remove the PS test function.

Workflow

1. Read the PS test — understand what it does: which project type, which PMC commands, what assertions.
2. Decide: unit test or Apex test — if it only tests cmdlet behavior (filtering, listing, prerelease logic) without needing VS project system integration, write a unit test. Otherwise use Apex.
3. Pick the right file — for Apex, match the scenario to an existing test class (see File Placement below). For unit tests, use the cmdlet-specific file in Cmdlets/ (see Unit test file placement below).
4. Translate — use the mappings in this skill to convert each PS construct to its C# equivalent.
5. Verify — run get_errors or build the project to confirm it compiles cleanly.
6. Remove the PS function — delete the migrated function from the PS test file.
7. If already covered — if an existing Apex or unit test already covers the same scenario, just delete the PS test. No new test needed.
8. Update this skill — if you discovered new mappings, gotchas, or corrections, add them to the appropriate section of this file.

File placement

Choose the target file by interaction surface, not project type:

Interaction surface	Apex file
Get-Package command scenarios (-ListAvailable, -Updates, -Filter, path source variants, prerelease behaviors)	GetPackageTestCase.cs
Other PMC commands (Install-Package, Update-Package, Uninstall-Package, Get-Project)	NuGetConsoleTestCase.cs
NuGet UI / Package Manager dialog	NuGetUITestCase.cs
IVsPackageInstaller / IVsServices API	IVsServicesTestCase.cs
Sync/binding redirect scenarios	SyncPackageTestCase.cs
Audit / vulnerability scenarios	NuGetAuditTests.cs
.NET Core project-creation / restore / source-mapping	NetCoreProjectTestCase.cs

PMC tests for PackageReference projects still follow command-based placement. For Get-Package scenarios use GetPackageTestCase.cs; for other PMC commands use NuGetConsoleTestCase.cs.

Template mapping

PowerShell function	Apex ProjectTemplate	Package management	Verified
New-ConsoleApplication	ProjectTemplate.ConsoleApplication	packages.config	✅
New-ClassLibrary	ProjectTemplate.ClassLibrary	packages.config	✅
New-WebSite	ProjectTemplate.WebSiteEmpty	packages.config	✅
New-WebApplication	ProjectTemplate.WebApplicationEmpty	packages.config	❌
New-WPFApplication	ProjectTemplate.WPFApplication	packages.config	❌
New-MvcApplication	ProjectTemplate.WebApplicationEmptyMvc	packages.config	❌
New-FSharpLibrary	ProjectTemplate.FSharpLibrary	PackageReference	❌
New-NetCoreConsoleApp	ProjectTemplate.NetCoreConsoleApp	PackageReference	✅
New-NetStandardClassLib	ProjectTemplate.NetStandardClassLib	PackageReference	✅

PowerShell function	Apex equivalent
New-SolutionFolder 'Name'	testContext.SolutionService.AddSolutionFolder("Name")

The package management style determines which assertion methods to use — packages.config projects use AssertPackageInPackagesConfig, while PackageReference projects use AssertPackageInAssetsFile.

Note: This table covers the most common PS project factories. Some PS tests use specialized factories like New-ClassLibraryNET46, New-BuildIntegratedProj, New-UwpPackageRefClassLibrary, or New-NetCoreConsoleMultipleTargetFrameworksApp. These don't have a 1:1 ProjectTemplate enum value — check the Apex ProjectTemplate enum and existing tests for the closest match, or create a standard template and modify the csproj afterward (e.g., for multi-targeting).

Command execution

Scenario	Apex API
Standard install with -Version	nugetConsole.InstallPackageFromPMC(packageName, packageVersion)
Install with extra flags (-Source, -WhatIf, -IgnoreDependencies)	nugetConsole.Execute($"Install-Package {packageName} -ProjectName {project.Name} -Source {source}")
Standard uninstall	nugetConsole.UninstallPackageFromPMC(packageName)
Standard update with -Version	nugetConsole.UpdatePackageFromPMC(packageName, packageVersion)
Update with -Safe, -Reinstall, etc.	nugetConsole.Execute($"Update-Package {packageName} -Safe")
Any raw PMC command	nugetConsole.Execute(command)

Key rule: Both InstallPackageFromPMC() and UpdatePackageFromPMC() always inject -Version. If the original PS test does not use -Version, use Execute() with the raw command string instead — using the helper changes the semantics.

PowerShell session state is accessible. nugetConsole.Execute() runs in a live PMC PowerShell session. It can execute any PowerShell command, not just NuGet commands. This means PS session state — global variables ($global:InstallVar), registered functions (Test-Path function:\Get-World), environment checks — can all be queried and asserted via Execute() + IsMessageFoundInPMC(). Do not skip tests just because they assert PS session state.

Project-level build operations:

Scenario	Apex API
Clean (deletes obj/bin)	testContext.Project.Clean()
Rebuild	testContext.Project.Rebuild()
Cache file path	CommonUtility.GetCacheFilePath(testContext.Project)
Wait for file to appear	CommonUtility.WaitForFileExists(path)
Wait for file to disappear	CommonUtility.WaitForFileNotExists(path)

For single-project solutions, project-level Clean/Rebuild is equivalent to solution-level.

Assertion mapping

PowerShell assertion	Apex equivalent
Assert-Package $p PackageName Version (packages.config)	CommonUtility.AssertPackageInPackagesConfig(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, version, Logger)
Assert-Package $p PackageName (no version, packages.config)	CommonUtility.AssertPackageInPackagesConfig(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, Logger)
Assert-Package $p PackageName Version (PackageReference)	CommonUtility.AssertPackageInAssetsFile(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, version, Logger)
Assert-Throws { ... } $expectedMessage	nugetConsole.IsMessageFoundInPMC(expectedMessage) — PMC errors appear as text, not C# exceptions
Assert-Null (Get-ProjectPackage ...) / not installed	CommonUtility.AssertPackageNotInPackagesConfig(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, Logger)
Assert-NoPackage $p PackageName Version (PackageReference)	CommonUtility.AssertPackageNotInAssetsFile(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, version, Logger)
Assert-PackageReference $p PackageName Version	CommonUtility.AssertPackageReferenceExists(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, version, Logger)
Assert-NoPackageReference $p PackageName	CommonUtility.AssertPackageReferenceDoesNotExist(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, Logger)

Package sources

PowerShell source	Apex equivalent
$context.RepositoryRoot / $context.RepositoryPath	testContext.PackageSource — create packages with CommonUtility.CreatePackageInSourceAsync()
No -Source (uses nuget.org)	Create a local package with CommonUtility.CreatePackageInSourceAsync(testContext.PackageSource, ...) — never depend on nuget.org
Hardcoded invalid sources (http://example.com, ftp://...)	Use the same hardcoded strings directly

Creating test packages

For simple packages:

await CommonUtility.CreatePackageInSourceAsync(testContext.PackageSource, packageName, packageVersion);

For packages with dependencies:

await CommonUtility.CreateDependenciesPackageInSourceAsync(
    testContext.PackageSource, packageName, packageVersion, dependencyName, dependencyVersion);

For .NET Framework-specific packages:

await CommonUtility.CreateNetFrameworkPackageInSourceAsync(
    testContext.PackageSource, packageName, packageVersion);

NuGet.Config manipulation

PS tests that use Get-VSComponentModel + ISettings to modify NuGet config at runtime can be migrated by pre-configuring SimpleTestPathContext before passing it to ApexTestContext.

Via Settings API (preferred):

using var simpleTestPathContext = new SimpleTestPathContext();
simpleTestPathContext.Settings.AddSource("PrivateRepo", privatePath);

using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, projectTemplate, Logger,
    simpleTestPathContext: simpleTestPathContext);

Via raw config file (for settings not covered by the API like dependencyVersion or bindingRedirects):

using var simpleTestPathContext = new SimpleTestPathContext();
File.WriteAllText(simpleTestPathContext.NuGetConfig,
    $@"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""?>
<configuration>
    <config>
        <add key=""dependencyVersion"" value=""HighestPatch"" />
    </config>
    <packageSources>
        <clear />
        <add key=""source"" value=""{simpleTestPathContext.PackageSource}"" />
    </packageSources>
</configuration>");

using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, projectTemplate, Logger,
    simpleTestPathContext: simpleTestPathContext);

Test structure patterns

Error-path tests (no package creation needed) — synchronous

[TestMethod]
[Timeout(DefaultTimeout)]
public void DescriptiveTestName_Fails()
{
    using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, ProjectTemplate.ConsoleApplication, Logger);

    var packageName = "Rules";
    var source = @"c:\temp\data";
    var expectedMessage = $"Unable to find package '{packageName}' at source '{source}'. Source not found.";

    var nugetConsole = GetConsole(testContext.Project);
    nugetConsole.Execute($"Install-Package {packageName} -ProjectName {testContext.Project.Name} -Source {source}");

    Assert.IsTrue(
        nugetConsole.IsMessageFoundInPMC(expectedMessage),
        $"Expected error message was not found in PMC output. Actual output: {nugetConsole.GetText()}");
}

Success-path tests (need package creation) — async

[TestMethod]
[Timeout(DefaultTimeout)]
public async Task DescriptiveTestNameAsync()
{
    using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, ProjectTemplate.ConsoleApplication, Logger);

    var packageName = "TestPackage";
    var packageVersion = "1.0.0";
    await CommonUtility.CreatePackageInSourceAsync(testContext.PackageSource, packageName, packageVersion);

    var nugetConsole = GetConsole(testContext.Project);
    nugetConsole.InstallPackageFromPMC(packageName, packageVersion);

    CommonUtility.AssertPackageInPackagesConfig(VisualStudio, testContext.Project, packageName, packageVersion, Logger);
}

Data-driven tests (multiple project templates)

When the same scenario applies to multiple project types, use [DataTestMethod] or [DynamicData]:

[DataTestMethod]
[DynamicData(nameof(GetPackageReferenceTemplates), DynamicDataSourceType.Method)]
[Timeout(DefaultTimeout)]
public async Task InstallPackageAsync(ProjectTemplate projectTemplate)
{
    using var simpleTestPathContext = new SimpleTestPathContext();
    EnsurePackageReferenceFormat(simpleTestPathContext, projectTemplate);
    using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, projectTemplate, Logger,
        simpleTestPathContext: simpleTestPathContext);
    // ... test body
}

// Yields both legacy and SDK-style PackageReference templates
private static IEnumerable<object[]> GetPackageReferenceTemplates()
{
    yield return new object[] { ProjectTemplate.ConsoleApplication };
    yield return new object[] { ProjectTemplate.NetCoreConsoleApp };
}

// Only legacy (ConsoleApplication) needs this; SDK projects ignore it
private static void EnsurePackageReferenceFormat(SimpleTestPathContext context, ProjectTemplate template)
{
    if (template == ProjectTemplate.ConsoleApplication)
        context.Settings.SetPackageFormatToPackageReference();
}

Use [DynamicData] over [DataRow] when the template set is reused across multiple tests in the same class. This ensures one test method covers both legacy and SDK-style PackageReference projects.

Multi-targeted project tests

To create a multi-targeted project, modify the csproj after project creation:

using var testContext = new ApexTestContext(VisualStudio, ProjectTemplate.NetCoreConsoleApp, Logger);
// Modify csproj to multi-target via XDocument:
// change <TargetFramework> to <TargetFrameworks>net8.0;netstandard2.0</TargetFrameworks>

Style rules

Follow the repo-wide coding guidelines first — they apply to all code, not just migrations: docs/coding-guidelines.md (e.g. no #region blocks, no reflection, var usage, nullable enabled). Don't restate or duplicate those rules here; this section only lists conventions specific to test migration that supplement the common guidelines:

• Use using var (inline using declaration), not using (var ...) { }.
• Place migrated tests before the static helper methods (GetNetCoreTemplates, etc.) in the file.
• Method names: {Action}FromPMC{Scenario}[_Fails|Async]. Suffix with _Fails for error tests, Async for async tests.
• Always include [Timeout(DefaultTimeout)].
• Always include nugetConsole.GetText() in assertion failure messages for diagnostics.
• The test class inherits SharedVisualStudioHostTestClass which provides VisualStudio and Logger.
• Get PMC console via GetConsole(testContext.Project) helper method in the test class.
• Don't use the method-delegates-to-async-helper pattern unless the helper is actually called from multiple classes. Inline the test logic directly in the test method.
• Do NOT add "Migrated from" comments in the test code. The PR description tracks the mapping — the code should stand on its own without referencing the old PS test.

Tests that should NOT be migrated

Skip PS tests that:

• Use Assert-BindingRedirect — binding redirect tests are already [SkipTest] in PS and not worth migrating.
• Depend on DTE project hierarchy semantics (e.g., Get-ProjectItem to check tree structure, parent/child relationships). However, if the PS test only uses Get-ProjectItem / Get-ProjectItemPath to verify a file exists on disk, migrate it using filesystem assertions instead: File.Exists(path), XML reads on the project file, or CommonUtility.WaitForFileExists().

After migration checklist

1. ✅ Remove the migrated function from the PS test file.
2. ✅ If a PS test is already covered by an existing Apex test (duplicate), just delete the PS test — no new Apex test needed.
3. ✅ Build the Apex project or run get_errors to verify it compiles cleanly.
4. ✅ Verify assertion methods match the project's package management style (packages.config vs PackageReference).

Common gotchas

• Console width: PMC output assertions are text-sensitive. The Apex infrastructure forces console width to 1024 to avoid wrapping issues.
• Restore timing: After install/update operations, the Apex infrastructure handles waiting for restore completion. You generally don't need explicit waits.
• nuget.org dependency: PS tests that don't specify -Source implicitly use nuget.org. Always replace this with local package creation via CreatePackageInSourceAsync — tests must not depend on external feeds.
• NuGetApexTestService limitations: It does NOT expose ISolutionManager or VS DTE project item inspection. Only IVsPackageInstaller, IVsSolutionRestoreStatusProvider, IVsPackageUninstaller, IVsPathContextProvider2, and IVsUIShell are available.
• IVs error-path tests: NuGetApexTestService.InstallPackage() swallows InvalidOperationException and logs it — it does NOT rethrow. For error-path IVs tests, assert that the package was NOT installed (AssertPackageNotInPackagesConfig) rather than trying to catch exceptions.
• Feature renaming: Some PS tests use older feature names (e.g., "PackageNameSpace"). When migrating, use the current feature name (e.g., "PackageSourceMapping") in test method names and comments.
• IVs tests use EnvDTE.Project: IVs API methods like InstallPackage() take project.UniqueName (from EnvDTE.Project), not a ProjectTestExtension. Get it via VisualStudio.Dte.Solution.Projects.Item(1).
• _pathContext vs testContext: IVsServicesTestCase uses a class-level SimpleTestPathContext _pathContext (initialized in constructor), not per-test ApexTestContext. PMC tests in NuGetConsoleTestCase use per-test ApexTestContext.
• Never overwrite SimpleTestPathContext's NuGet.config: Using CreateConfigurationFile to write a full config replaces defaults like globalPackagesFolder, fallbackPackageFolders, and — causing packages to pollute the user's real global packages folder. Instead use and to layer config on top of the defaults.

Learnings (continuously updated)

This section captures lessons learned from actual migration runs that don't fit neatly into the sections above. Update this section after every migration run with new discoveries or corrections.

2026-05-20: PackageReferenceTestCase patterns

• PR #7246 incorrectly removed Test-NetCoreConsoleAppClean — it was claimed to be covered by Apex Daily's VerifyCacheFileInsideObjFolder, but that test is in Daily (different cadence) and bundles 3 behaviors. We properly covered it by adding NetCoreConsoleApp to GetPackageReferenceTemplates() in PackageReferenceTestCase.CleanDeletesCacheFile.

2026-06-26: Find-Package / Get-Package paging migration

• Get-Package -ListAvailable defaults First to 50 (GetPackageCommand.DefaultFirstValue). The old E2E test Test-GetPackageRetunsMoreThanServerPagingLimit asserted >100 against nuget.org and only worked under an older default. When migrating "more than server paging limit" to a unit test, pass an explicit large -First (e.g. 105) over a local source with 105 packages and assert > 100 — this faithfully validates page aggregation in PackageFeedEnumerator. Without -First, the local result caps at 50.
• Find/Get cmdlet filtering is substring match on a local feed — creating ids that share a keyword prefix (e.g. FirstKeywordPackage1..6) and searching the keyword returns all of them, so -First/-Skip paging is testable with a unit test.
• vs-tests.yml part: list is NOT maintained per-migration — e.g. SyncPackageTest.ps1 remains listed after deletion in #7270. Follow precedent: when fully migrating a PS test file, delete the file and remove it from NuGet.sln solution items, but leave the vs-tests.yml part list untouched.
• -Source by name and -Updates source filtering are UNIT-testable, not Apex-only. GetMatchingSource resolves -Source against ISourceRepositoryProvider.PackageSourceProvider.LoadPackageSources(), and -Updates queries PrimarySourceRepositories (= just the matched -Source when one is given). The unit harness's TestSourceRepositoryUtility.CreateSourceRepositoryProvider(IEnumerable<PackageSource>) builds a real provider — pass new PackageSource(path, "FriendlyName") to test name resolution, and register a second empty source to verify -Updates -Source EmptySource returns 0. Don't reach for Apex just because a scenario mentions -Source.
• -Source 'All' is a host-level concept, NOT a cmdlet -Source value. The aggregate "All" is handled by PowerShellHost.SetPrivateDataOnHost (the PMC source dropdown), which maps it to an empty active source. Passing literally to a cmdlet hits → null → → throws "Unknown source 'All'". The old PS function had no prefix (never ran) and relied on this non-existent behavior — do not migrate it.

2026-08-28: DependencyVersion data-driven migration

• Related E2E scenarios that differ only by a PMC enum argument and expected package version can share a [DataTestMethod] with one [DataRow] per migrated function. Each row remains an independently reported Apex test while avoiding repeated Visual Studio test code.
• To test dependency selection across several available versions, add the minimum dependency range to the root package's Dependencies, create the root without recursively creating dependencies, and create each concrete dependency version separately.
• Use an explicit open-ended dependency range such as [1.0.0,) when the original package means >= 1.0.0. Create that root with CreatePackagesWithoutDependenciesAsync, then create every concrete dependency version separately; otherwise the range placeholder is recursively created as a package and contaminates the test source.
• NuGetApexTestService.IsPackageInstalled only returns direct dependencies. Use IsPackageInstalledIncludingTransitive when verifying a transitive package version.
• Explicitly call simpleTestPathContext.Settings.SetPackageFormatToPackagesConfig() for migrated packages.config scenarios. Otherwise the Visual Studio profile's persisted package-management default can create a legacy project as PackageReference and change PMC behavior.
• Config-driven dependency behavior can share the same data-driven test as explicit -DependencyVersion arguments. Use SimpleTestSettingsContext.SetDependencyVersion before creating ApexTestContext, and leave the command-line argument empty for that row.

---

Migrating PowerShell E2E Tests to Unit Tests

Some E2E tests exercise cmdlet behavior (parameter handling, filtering, prerelease logic) rather than Visual Studio integration. These are better covered by fast unit tests that invoke the cmdlet directly in a PowerShell runspace — no VS instance needed.

When to use unit tests vs Apex tests

Scenario	Target
Tests that verify cmdlet parameter behavior (filtering, prerelease, -AllVersions, -Updates)	Unit test
Tests that verify VS integration (project creation, restore, UI, solution operations)	Apex test
Tests that exercise Install/Update/Uninstall side effects on actual project files	Apex test
Tests that only query package sources or list installed packages	Unit test

The key distinction: if the test needs a real Visual Studio instance, solution, or project system, use Apex. If it only needs the cmdlet logic + a mock package source, use a unit test.

Unit test project

Unit tests live in:

test/NuGet.Clients.Tests/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test/Cmdlets/

The project (NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test.csproj) references:

• NuGet.PackageManagement.PowerShellCmdlets (the source project)
• VisualStudio.Test.Utility (shared test helpers)
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Sdk.TestFramework.Xunit (VS mocking infrastructure)

Tests run sequentially via xunit.runner.json:

{
  "maxParallelThreads": 1,
  "parallelizeTestCollections": false
}

Test infrastructure

The reference implementation is in:

test/NuGet.Clients.Tests/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test/Cmdlets/GetPackageCommandTests.cs

Read this file for the full working patterns. Key architectural details below.

CmdletRunspaceFixture (inner class in test file)

Creates a real PowerShell runspace with the cmdlet registered via SessionStateCmdletEntry. Key points:

• Constructor takes activeSource (always pass pathContext.PackageSource — never nuget.org)
• Registers the cmdlet type (e.g., typeof(GetPackageCommand)) into InitialSessionState
• Invoke(cmdletName, parameters) runs the cmdlet and returns IList<PSObject>
• Is IDisposable — use with using var

When adding tests for a different cmdlet (e.g., Install-Package), create a new fixture class that registers that cmdlet's type instead.

TestPSHost (inner class in test file)

A minimal PSHost that provides PrivateData with two properties NuGet cmdlets require:

• "activePackageSource" — the source URL/path the cmdlet defaults to
• "CancellationTokenKey" — a CancellationToken (use CancellationToken.None in tests)

Without these, cmdlets throw during initialization.

VS Service Mocking (constructor)

The test class implements IAsyncServiceProvider and sets up mocks in the constructor:

• Takes GlobalServiceProvider (from xUnit collection MockedVS.Collection)
• Mocks IVsSolutionManager — must set IsSolutionOpen = true, IsSolutionAvailableAsync = true, and provide a default project via GetDefaultNuGetProjectAsync()
• Mocks IComponentModel — registers all services the cmdlet's Preprocess() method resolves: ISettings, IVsSolutionManager, ISourceControlManagerProvider, ICommonOperations, IPackageRestoreManager, IDeleteOnRestartManager, IRestoreProgressReporter, and ISourceRepositoryProvider
• Calls ServiceLocator.InitializePackageServiceProvider(this) to wire it all up

If a new cmdlet requires additional services, add them to the IComponentModel mock setup.

Unit test file placement

Cmdlet	Test file
Get-Package	Cmdlets/GetPackageCommandTests.cs
Install-Package	Cmdlets/InstallPackageCommandTests.cs (create if needed)
Update-Package	Cmdlets/UpdatePackageCommandTests.cs (create if needed)
Uninstall-Package	Cmdlets/UninstallPackageCommandTests.cs (create if needed)
Find-Package	Cmdlets/FindPackageCommandTests.cs (create if needed)

When creating a new test file, follow the same structure as GetPackageCommandTests.cs — copy the class skeleton (constructor, IAsyncServiceProvider, inner fixture/host classes) and adapt the cmdlet type.

Key patterns

Creating test packages

Use SimpleTestPathContext + SimpleTestPackageUtility (same utilities as other NuGet tests):

using var pathContext = new SimpleTestPathContext();

await SimpleTestPackageUtility.CreatePackagesAsync(
    pathContext.PackageSource,
    new SimpleTestPackageContext("PackageA", "1.0.0"),
    new SimpleTestPackageContext("PackageA", "2.0.0-beta"));

Setting up the source repository provider

Register a real ISourceRepositoryProvider pointing at the local test source via TestSourceRepositoryUtility.CreateSourceRepositoryProvider(new PackageSource(localPath)). See SetupSourceRepositoryProvider() in the reference file.

Setting up installed packages (for -Updates tests)

Create a mock NuGetProject with PackageReference entries and wire it into _solutionManager.GetNuGetProjectsAsync() / GetDefaultNuGetProjectAsync(). See CreateMockProject() and SetupProjectWithInstalledPackage() helpers in the reference file.

Invoking cmdlets

using var fixture = new CmdletRunspaceFixture(activeSource: pathContext.PackageSource);

var results = fixture.Invoke(
    "Get-Package",
    new Dictionary<string, object>
    {
        { "ListAvailable", true },
        { "Source", pathContext.PackageSource },
        { "Filter", "TestPackage" },
    });

Switch parameters (-ListAvailable, -AllVersions, -IncludePrerelease) are passed as true in the dictionary.

Asserting results

Results come back as PSObject wrappers. Cast BaseObject to the expected type:

Scenario	BaseObject type
-ListAvailable	PowerShellRemotePackage
Installed (no switch)	PowerShellInstalledPackage
-Updates	PowerShellUpdatePackage

Use FluentAssertions: results.Should().ContainSingle(), then cast and assert .Id, .Version, .Versions.

Unit test style rules

• Use xUnit ([Fact]) with FluentAssertions.
• Test class uses [Collection(MockedVS.Collection)] and takes GlobalServiceProvider in constructor.
• Method names: {CmdletName}{Scenario}_{Expectation}Async (e.g., GetPackageListAvailable_WithFilter_ReturnsMatchingPackageAsync).
• Use using var for disposables.
• Arrange/Act/Assert pattern with comments.
• All tests are async Task (package creation is async).
• Use var for locals except value tuples.

Unit test migration workflow

1. Identify testable behavior — read the PS test and determine if it's testing cmdlet logic or VS integration.
2. Check existing unit test coverage — look in Cmdlets/ for the relevant command test file.
3. Write the unit test — use the patterns above.
4. Build — dotnet build test/NuGet.Clients.Tests/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test.csproj
5. Run — dotnet test test/NuGet.Clients.Tests/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test/NuGetConsole.Host.PowerShell.Test.csproj
6. Remove the PS test function — delete the migrated function from the PS E2E file.
7. Keep one Apex sanity test — if migrating all PS tests for a given cmdlet to unit tests, keep (or create) one Apex test that exercises the basic end-to-end flow through VS. Unit tests mock the VS layer, so a single Apex test ensures the real integration still works. This sanity test should cover multiple scenarios in a single test case to maximize breadth without adding multiple slow VS-launching tests — e.g., GetPackageTestCase.cs has a lifecycle test that installs, lists, updates, and uninstalls all in one method.

Tests that should be unit tests (not Apex)

PS E2E tests that do any of the following are good candidates for unit tests:

• Only call Get-Package with -ListAvailable, -Filter, -AllVersions, -Updates, -Prerelease
• Assert returned package IDs/versions without modifying project state
• Test behavior with different source configurations
• Verify filtering/sorting logic
• Test prerelease inclusion/exclusion behavior