Configure PbfLite as NuGet package with automated release pipeline

[Copilot]

This PR implements complete NuGet package configuration for PbfLite, enabling automated releases and distribution through NuGet.org.

Overview

PbfLite is now configured as a distributable NuGet package with automated CI/CD pipelines for releases. Users can install the package with:

dotnet add package PbfLite

Changes

Package Configuration

Added comprehensive NuGet metadata to src/PbfLite/PbfLite.csproj:

• Package ID: PbfLite
• Version: 1.0.0 (manual versioning strategy)
• License: MIT (via license expression)
• Description: Full library description
• Tags: protobuf, protocol-buffers, serialization, performance, low-level
• Repository URLs: GitHub repository and project links
• Included files: README.md bundled in the package

Licensing & Documentation

• LICENSE: Added MIT License file
• CHANGELOG.md: Version history tracking with semantic versioning structure
• README.md: Updated with NuGet installation instructions
• RELEASING.md: Comprehensive release process documentation including versioning strategy, tagging conventions, and step-by-step release guide

Automated Release Workflow

Created .github/workflows/release.yml that:

1. Triggers on vX.Y.Z tag pushes (e.g., v1.0.0)
2. Builds the project in Release configuration
3. Runs the complete test suite (280 tests)
4. Packs the NuGet package
5. Publishes to NuGet.org (requires NUGET_API_KEY secret)
6. Creates a GitHub Release with the package attached
7. Generates release notes automatically

PR Validation Enhancement

Updated .github/workflows/pr-validation.yml to:

• Build the NuGet package on every PR
• Upload package as artifact for inspection
• Validate packaging doesn't break on code changes

Setup Guides

Created comprehensive setup documentation:

• .github/NUGET_SETUP.md: Step-by-step NuGet API key configuration guide with troubleshooting
• .github/QUICK_START.md: Quick reference for creating the first release

Manual Setup Required

To enable automated publishing, the repository owner needs to configure the NuGet API key:

1. Create an API key at https://www.nuget.org/account/apikeys with push permissions
2. Add it as a GitHub repository secret named NUGET_API_KEY
3. Detailed instructions are in .github/NUGET_SETUP.md

Creating Releases

After the NuGet API key is configured, creating a release is simple:

# 1. Update version in src/PbfLite/PbfLite.csproj
# 2. Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes
# 3. Commit and push changes
# 4. Create and push a tag
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
git push origin v1.0.0

The release workflow handles everything else automatically!

Verification

• ✅ Project builds successfully in Release configuration
• ✅ All 280 tests pass
• ✅ NuGet package creates successfully (~11KB)
• ✅ Package structure validated (contains DLL and README)
• ✅ Package metadata verified in nuspec
• ✅ Workflow YAML files validated

Files Changed

New files:

• LICENSE - MIT License
• CHANGELOG.md - Version tracking
• RELEASING.md - Release process guide
• .github/workflows/release.yml - Automated release workflow
• .github/NUGET_SETUP.md - NuGet setup instructions
• .github/QUICK_START.md - Quick reference guide

Modified files:

• src/PbfLite/PbfLite.csproj - Added NuGet metadata
• README.md - Added installation instructions
• .github/workflows/pr-validation.yml - Added pack step
• .gitignore - Excluded nupkg directories

Fixes #[issue_number]

Original prompt

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This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Release PbfLite as NuGet package</issue_title>
<issue_description>### Configure NuGet Package Metadata

• Add package metadata (PackageId, Version, Authors, Description, etc.)

• Configure package properties (license, repository URL, tags)

• Add/update sections for NuGet usage

• Create CHANGELOG.md for version tracking

• Add license file if not present

Versioning Strategy

• Project will use manual versioning in .csproj

Release Pipeline

• Create Release Workflow (release.yml)

• Trigger on "vX.Y.Z" tag push

• Build in Release configuration

• Run full test suite

• Pack NuGet package

• Upload to NuGet.org

• Set up NuGet API key as GitHub secret

Update Existing PR Validation

• Add package build step to validate packaging

Documentation and Process

• Document how to create releases
• Tag naming conventions
• Release notes template</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

Fixes #12

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