[Feature]: Add a package rename ability

[kartheekp-ms]

Related Problem

No response

The Elevator Pitch

NuGet Product(s) Involved

Other/NA

The Elevator Pitch

I would like to see a package rename path/ability added to allow the transition from an old name to a new one to be automatic when upgrading.

It would allow a Vendor to correct a package name without breaking a client's ability to directly update.
User would no longer have to follow the path of "Remove. Find new package. Install."

Additional Context and Details

No response

Additional Context and Details

Copied the issue description from NuGet/Home#14750 issue originally created by @mdell-seradex. The linked issue has some additional comments.

[pranathibora14]

Thank you @mdell-seradex and @kartheekp-ms for raising this! This issue seems related to a previous issue that we have been tracking: #7896.

@mdell-seradex please feel free to contribute to the discussion in that thread. I'll close this one out as a duplicate to keep the discussion in one place!

[mdell-seradex]

@pranathibora14 It is unfortunate that it was updated to say that they are abandoning package renames.

[mdell-seradex]

@pranathibora14 From what I can see, I believe my request actually goes a step beyond the Package Renames Spec.
It seems that the spec, based on what I read was only about notifying the developer (and popularity).
My idea is to essentially treat the new package as if it is the old package, perhaps by having the new package contain the old package ids.
That way, it doesn't just display as some information on the install and upgrade pages, but instead displays as an actual upgrade.
Also, with the new package containing the old Package ID(s), the nuget system can use that for dependency info.
Of course some people will point out that switching to a new package can introduce breaking changes - however so can upgrading to the latest version of an existing package, which is exactly what happened with some Microsoft packages (e.g. Microsoft Graph) somewhat recently. I don’t recall the exact timing, but it was within the last couple of years, and likely more recent.

[pranathibora14]

Thanks for the feedback, @mdell-seradex. We understand this goes beyond what was covered in #7896 - you're looking for a deeper
integration where renamed packages appear as direct upgrades rather than just showing a notification.

This isn't currently planned, but it's on our radar. We try to prioritize based on community feedback, so upvotes and comments here will help us gauge demand for this capability. We'd also love to hear from others who have run into this pain point.