Metapack CLI · SubPoint Solutions Docs

Welcome to MetaPack CLI guide. MetaPack comes in different flavors: a set of C# API targets SharePoint developers, and the command-line interface takes away all the coding routines enabling IT professionals to deliver and deploy SharePoint solutions in a single line.

MetaPack CLI connects NuGet Gallery and SharePoint within a commend-line interface. No coding is required, and it's got its own mission - "SharePoint customizations should be one line away" - meaning that it should be really easy to install and update SharePoint solutions within a single line or so. For instance, a solution package "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFiels" can be installed to SharePoint site "http://contoso-intranet.local" with the following command:

metapack install -id Contoso.Intranet.SiteFiels -url http://contoso-intranet.local

That said, MetaPack CLI can be used in several scenarios:

Enhance continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines
Provide IT profession with easy way to install and update SharePoint solutions

Installing MetaPack CLI

There are two ways to get MetaPack CLI installed - using a single *.zip package or using Chocolatey package manager.

First of all, ensure that you've got Chocolatey installed. Next, run the following command to get the latest MetaPack CLI installed:

choco install metapack

You can also install the recent MetaPack CLI from the build feed:

choco install metapack -source https://ci.appveyor.com/nuget/metapack-ci --force --prerelese

Once done, check that metapack was installed running one of the following commands:

metapack
metapack version

The outcome should look as following:

[Information]: Metapack client v1.0.17049.1225
[Information]: Working directory: [C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\MetaPack\lib\metapack]
[Information]: Using NuGet galleries:[

    http://metapackgallery.com/api/v2
    https://packages.nuget.org/api/v2
    http://metapackgallery.com/api/v2
    https://www.myget.org/F/subpointsolutions-staging/api/v2
]
[Information]: MetaPack.Client 1.0.0.0
Copyright ©  2016

  --install    Install package to SharePoint web site. Use 'install --help' for
               more information.

  --update     Update package on SharePoint web site. Use 'update --help' for
               more information.

  --list       List installed packaged on SharePoit web site. Use 'list --help'
               for more information.

  --push       Push a packaged to NuGet gallery. Use 'push --help' for more
               information.

  --version    Shows current version of CLI.

  --help       Display this help screen.


[Information]: Cannot find arguments. Exiting.

You can also get metapack zip package. Check the following link and get *.zip file whith looks as "MetaPack.0.1.0-alpha170660508.zip":

https://ci.appveyor.com/project/SubPointSupport/metapack/history

Download it, right clicn -> Properties -> Unblock it, and then extract all the content into a new folder. Checksums are also avialable via build links and looks as following:

MetaPack.0.1.0-alpha170660508.MD5SUM
MetaPack.0.1.0-alpha170660508.SHA256SUM
MetaPack.0.1.0-alpha170660508.SHA512SUM

Installing packages with MetaPack CLI

MetaPack CLI is heavility nfluence by nuget.exe and provides similar subset of commands to manage and install solutions packages but in a context of SharePoint:

instal - installs a target package to SharePoint web site
update - updates target package installing the latest version available
list - shows packages installed on a target SharePoint web site
push - pushes package to NuGet Gallery
version - shows the current version of the CLI
help - shows help

Every command has additional parameters to address the complexity of a particular deployment scenario. Use "help" switch to get more information regarding additional parameters available:

metapack install help
metapack list help

Most of the command require id of the package and target SharePoint url. You may also provide a target version of the package and source of the NuGet Gallery to use:

--id - ID of the target NuGet package
--version - version of the target package
--source - url of the NuGet gallery to use
--url - url of the target SharePoint web site

By default, in beta version the following NuGet Galleries are used:

Depending of the auth used, you may be required to provide user name and passoword using the following switches:

--username - user name, a simple string
--userpassword - user password, a simple string

Next, there are several parameters to suggest which SharePoint version and runtime to use - SharePoint 2013, 2016, O365 and CSOM/SSOM. By default O365 and CSOM are used.

--spversion - target version of SharePoint: o365, sp2013, sp2016
--spapi - target SharePoint API to use: CSOM/SSOM

Finally, some additonal trace is available with the verbose swith:

--verbose - shows verbose trace

Finally, here are some scenarios and examples on how to deploy solution packages with MetaPack CLI.

Install solution package to O365

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "o365"

Install solution package to SP2013

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "sp2013"

Install solution package to SP2013 via CSOM

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "sp2013"

Install solution package to SP2013 via SSOM

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "sp2013" `
        --spapi "SSOM"

Install solution package from custom NuGet Gallery

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --source "https://www.myget.org/F/subpointsolutions-staging/api/v2" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "sp2013"

Install solution package from shared folder

metapack install `
        --id "Contoso.Intranet.SiteFields" `
        --source "\\shared-drives\sp-solutions-repository" `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1" `
        --spversion "sp2013"

Show installed packages on SharePoint web site

metapack list `
        --url "http://contoso-intranet.sharepoint.com" `
        --username "user@contoso.com" `
        --userpassword "pass@word1"

Next steps

Hope the current guide give some understanding of MetaPack CLI. Let us know how it works for you, don't forget to join the community and share your ideas as well.