Add "dotnet dnx" command as alias for "dotnet tool execute"

[dsplaisted]

This adds a root dotnet dnx command which forwards to dotnet tool execute. This will enable us to add a dnx shell script which calls dotnet dnx.

[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

Adds support for a hidden dotnet dnx alias that forwards to dotnet tool execute, integrates it into the CLI parser, and adjusts help generation to surface the new command.

• Registers the new dnx command in Parser.cs
• Implements DnxCommandParser to mirror arguments/options for forward execution
• Modifies HelpBuilder.cs to stop skipping hidden commands so dnx appears in help

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 3 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

File	Description
src/Cli/dotnet/Parser.cs	Imported and registered DnxCommandParser; reorganized help option handling
src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Dnx/DnxCommandParser.cs	New hidden dnx command that forwards to ToolExecuteCommand
src/Cli/Microsoft.TemplateEngine.Cli/Help/HelpBuilder.cs	Removed skip for hidden commands to allow help for dnx

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (3)

src/Cli/Microsoft.TemplateEngine.Cli/Help/HelpBuilder.cs:45

• The check to skip hidden commands was removed, causing hidden commands (like dnx) to appear in help for all commands. Consider reintroducing if (context.Command.Hidden) { return; } or conditionally checking the alias so other hidden commands stay hidden.

foreach (var writeSection in GetLayout(context))

src/Cli/dotnet/Commands/Dnx/DnxCommandParser.cs:20

• There are no tests added to verify that dotnet dnx correctly forwards to the underlying dotnet tool execute. Please add unit or integration tests to cover this new alias behavior.

Command command = new("dnx", CliCommandStrings.ToolExecuteCommandDescription);

src/Cli/dotnet/Parser.cs:314

• [nitpick] The root help text (CliUsage.HelpText) likely needs updating to mention the new dnx alias so users know it’s available and how it maps to dotnet tool execute.

Console.Out.WriteLine(CliUsage.HelpText);

[nagilson]

I definitely like having a shorthand. That's awesome.

Before the .NET CLI / .NET SDK existed, the tool that used to be the SDK was called dnx. I worry this will result in name confusion and would prefer to use dntx, though I am not the 'decision maker' on this.

[MiYanni]

@baronfel Is this the only way to alias nested commands? Meaning, @dsplaisted is taking what is execute nested in tool, creating this composition of it called dnx, and then exposing that as a new command. I'm assuming aliasing execute would end up with dotnet tool dnx. Also, does this composition work with the shell completion stuff since the options and arguments are copied over?

[baronfel]

Commands can have aliases, but only at the 'same level'. This kind of sub-level redirect isn't natively supported.

[baronfel]

From the shell completion perspective this is an entirely new command with separate completions. If we had some more 'full' concept of aliases then the completion generation could perhaps handle that more intelligently.

[dsplaisted]

I definitely like having a shorthand. That's awesome.

Before the .NET CLI / .NET SDK existed, the tool that used to be the SDK was called dnx. I worry this will result in name confusion and would prefer to use dntx, though I am not the 'decision maker' on this.

See my response here: dotnet/designs#334 (comment)

My opinion is that after 10 years it's OK to reuse the name dnx. Nowadays it's probably going to look more familiar as an analog to npx, rather than people getting confused about it because it's a name we used during previews of .NET Core.

My sense is that dnx is the more popular option, both from external feedback and from leaders on our team.

@baronfel, do you think this is correct or am I just projecting my own opinion?

[nagilson]

I think that's valid. preview 6 has snapped, so we may want to change the target branch if we can still get this in. I will bring this up in triage. Thanks for considering my feedback :)

[marcpopMSFT]

Triage: tool exec was the critical piece we wanted for P6. This is nice to have and we can wait for preview 7 when we can get dnx in for zip and admin installs.