dotnet format does not respect global.json and breaks when preview versions of .NET is installed

[DavidZidar]

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I am unable to use dotnet format in my projects because it throws the following error:

Unhandled exception: System.Reflection.ReflectionTypeLoadException: Unable to load one or more of the requested types.
Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.

This seems to be because it is trying to load assemblies from .NET 6.0.200 preview even though I have the following global.json in my project:

{
  "sdk": {
    "version": "6.0.100",
    "allowPrerelease": false,
    "rollForward": "latestFeature"
  }
}

The following log output illustrates the problem:

> dotnet format -v diag --verify-no-changes .\project.sln

  The dotnet runtime version is '6.0.1'.
  The dotnet CLI version is '6.0.101'.
  Using MSBuild.exe located in 'C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\6.0.200-preview.22055.15\'.
  Formatting code files in workspace 'C:\code\projects\myproject\myproject.sln'.
  Loading workspace.
  Project MyProject is using configuration from 'C:\code\projects\.editorconfig'.
  Project MyProject is using configuration from 'C:\code\projects\myproject\.editorconfig'.
  Project MyProject is using configuration from 'C:\code\projects\myproject\src\MyProject\obj\Debug\net6.0\MyProject.GeneratedMSBuildEditorConfig.editorconfig'.
  Project MyProject is using configuration from 'C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\6.0.200-preview.22055.15\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\analyzers\build\config\analysislevel_6_all.editorconfig'.
# ...truncated...
  Complete in 2975ms.
  Determining formattable files.
  Complete in 542ms.
  Running formatters.
  Running Code Style analysis.
  Determining diagnostics...
  Running 33 analyzers on MyProject.
# ...truncated...
  Complete in 2577ms.
  Analysis complete in 2578ms.
Unhandled exception: System.Reflection.ReflectionTypeLoadException: Unable to load one or more of the requested types.
Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeModule.GetTypes(RuntimeModule module)
   at System.Reflection.Assembly.GetTypes()
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFinderHelpers.<>c.<LoadAnalyzersAndFixers>b__0_0(Assembly assembly)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectManySingleSelectorIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.OfTypeIterator[TResult](IEnumerable source)+MoveNext()
   at System.Collections.Generic.LargeArrayBuilder`1.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 items)
   at System.Collections.Generic.EnumerableHelpers.ToArray[T](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableArray.CreateRange[T](IEnumerable`1 items)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableArray.ToImmutableArray[TSource](IEnumerable`1 items)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFinderHelpers.LoadAnalyzersAndFixers(IEnumerable`1 assemblies)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerReferenceInformationProvider.GetAnalyzersAndFixers(Project project)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.<>c__DisplayClass9_0`3.<ToImmutableDictionary>b__0(TSource element)   at System.Linq.Utilities.<>c__DisplayClass2_0`3.<CombineSelectors>b__0(TSource x)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectIListIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 items, MutationInput origin, KeyCollisionBehavior collisionBehavior)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 pairs, Boolean avoidToHashMap)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary`2.AddRange(IEnumerable`1 pairs)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.ToImmutableDictionary[TSource,TKey,TValue](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 keySelector, Func`2 elementSelector, IEqualityComparer`1 keyComparer, IEqualityComparer`1 valueComparer)
   at System.Collections.Immutable.ImmutableDictionary.ToImmutableDictionary[TSource,TKey,TValue](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 keySelector, Func`2 elementSelector)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerReferenceInformationProvider.GetAnalyzersAndFixers(Solution solution, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Analyzers.AnalyzerFormatter.FormatAsync(Solution solution, ImmutableArray`1 formattableDocuments, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, List`1 formattedFiles, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.CodeFormatter.RunCodeFormattersAsync(Solution solution, ImmutableArray`1 formattableDocuments, FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, List`1 formattedFiles, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.CodeFormatter.FormatWorkspaceAsync(FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger logger, CancellationToken cancellationToken, String binaryLogPath)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.FormatCommandCommon.FormatAsync(FormatOptions formatOptions, ILogger`1 logger, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Tools.Commands.RootFormatCommand.FormatCommandDefaultHandler.InvokeAsync(InvocationContext context)
   at System.CommandLine.Invocation.InvocationPipeline.<>c__DisplayClass4_0.<<BuildInvocationChain>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass23_0.<<UseParseErrorReporting>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass16_0.<<UseHelp>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass27_0.<<UseVersionOption>b__1>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass25_0.<<UseTypoCorrections>b__0>d.MoveNext()--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c.<<UseSuggestDirective>b__24_0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass22_0.<<UseParseDirective>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass11_0.<<UseDebugDirective>b__0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c.<<RegisterWithDotnetSuggest>b__10_0>d.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at System.CommandLine.Builder.CommandLineBuilderExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.<<UseExceptionHandler>b__0>d.MoveNext()
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.CodeAnalysis, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35'

[DavidZidar]

I had to work around this issue by completely uninstalling Visual Studio 2022 preview.

[CaringDev]

It seems this is intended: #1292 last bullet point. It's painful for me too, but then I don't know the reasons behind 🤷

[DavidZidar]

@CaringDev Oh damn, thanks for that link. That's just broken by design then. :(

[jaredthirsk]

Workaround: In C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk, temporarily rename 6.0.200 to x6.0.200 while I don't need it.

[Franklin89]

This also has an impact on the GitHub Actions runner. They have been updated to the lastest SDK an now the dotnet format analyzers command is broken.

[Franklin89]

Any news on this? This is pretty annoying to work with.

[DavidZidar]

Agreed, I had to uninstall VS Preview again the other day because of this.

[alefranz]

Any plan to fix this or introduce some sort of workaround to allow to use dotnet format when you have a .NET preview version installed?

[Franklin89]

@JoeRobich can someone at least look at this, or give some feedback please.

[JoeRobich]

The correct dotnet-format is being run based on global.json, but the issue here is that we are taking the highest versioned MSBuild (and thus SDK) returned by MSBuildLocator. This is a behavior that was quite useful when we shipped only as a dotnet tool but is undesirable now that we are in the SDK. This is something I can look at in the July development sprint.

[Franklin89]

@JoeRobich Thank you for the clarification 💯

[alefranz]

A possible workaround is to install it as global tool

dotnet tool install -g dotnet-format --version "7.*" --add-source https://pkgs.dev.azure.com/dnceng/public/_packaging/dotnet7/nuget/v3/index.json

(not sure if there is a different feed where 6.* is available)

and then running it as dotnet-format

[jonasmidstrup]

Any news on this one? Can't find any PR for this.

[iSazonov]

The same in 8.0-Preview1.

[michaelplavnik]

It is not only the issue of preview version. Any SDK with only patch level difference is affected. E.g. 6.0.122 and 6.0.401.

[spaasis]

This breaks our pull request build pipelines since the formatting in dotnet 8 seems to be a bit different from dotnet 6 which our global.json defines as the sdk. Any updates on an actual fix?

A possible workaround is to add this to your pipeline before the formatting:

  - task: UseDotNet@2
    inputs:
      packageType: 'sdk'
      useGlobalJson: true

[niemyjski]

Please fix this.