NuGet pack doesn't include inner nuspec files with package type Template

[Mackiovello]

Details about Problem

Product: NuGet CLI
NuGet version 4.4.1.4656
.NET Command Line Tools (2.1.4)
Windows 10

To reproduce

Run nuget pack in the StarDefaultPackage directory of the attached project at the bottom of this issue.

Expected

All the files in the content directory are copied.

Actual

All the files except for the inner nuspec file in StarDefaultPackage\content\src\StarDefault are included.

Use case

I want to create a custom template for dotnet new that I can distribute as a NuGet package. The template has a nuspec file that I want to include.

Other suggested things

Verbose Logs

nuget pack -verbosity detailed
NuGet Version: 4.4.1.4656
Attempting to build package from 'StarDefaultPackage.nuspec'.

Id: Starcounter.LibraryPackage.Default
Version: 0.0.1
Authors: Erlend Landrö
Description: Creates a solution with a class library and tests. It's set up for packaging and distributing via NuGet.
Dependencies: None

Added file '[Content_Types].xml'.
Added file '_rels/.rels'.
Added file 'content/%STAR_NUGET%/README.md'.
Added file 'content/.template.config/template.json'.
Added file 'content/build/build.cake'.
Added file 'content/build/packages.config'.
Added file 'content/build/StarDefault.cake'.
Added file 'content/nuget.config'.
Added file 'content/README.md'.
Added file 'content/src/StarDefault/Class1.cs'.
Added file 'content/src/StarDefault/StarDefault.csproj'.
Added file 'content/StarDefault.sln'.
Added file 'content/test/StarDefault.Tests/StarDefaultPackage.Tests.csproj'.
Added file 'content/test/StarDefault.Tests/UnitTest1.cs'.
Added file 'package/services/metadata/core-properties/82b3c993650d4ac1992c97c103dbfa7a.psmdcp'.
Added file 'Starcounter.LibraryPackage.Default.nuspec'.

Successfully created package 'C:\Starcounter\Starcounter.DotnetTemplates\StarDefaultPackage\Starcounter.LibraryPackage.Default.0.0.1.nupkg'.

Notice how the nuspec file that should be next to content/src/StarDefault/StarDefault.csproj is not included.

Sample Project

Starcounter.DotnetTemplates.zip

[rohit21agrawal]

this is currently not supported. We will take this feedback and add it to our backlog.

Unfortunately, there is no workaround for this either.

[mc0re]

Three years have passed, still no solution? :-(
I used the following workaround.

Part 1. Rename the .nuspec file to .nuspec.RENAME_ME. The file is successfully added to the package.

Part 2. Create a batch file 6862.bat:

rename TemplateApp\\TemplateApp.nuspec.RENAME_ME TemplateApp.nuspec
del 6862.bat

Part 3. Create a "rename" action in template.json.

  "postActions": [
    {
      "actionId": "3A7C4B45-1F5D-4A30-959A-51B88E82B5D2",
      "description ": "Rename 'nuspec' file, see https://github.com/NuGet/Home/issues/6862",
      "args": {
        "executable": "6862.bat",
        "args": ""
      },
      "manualInstructions": [
        { "text": "Rename '*.nuspec.RENAME_ME' to '*.nuspec'." }
      ],
      "continueOnError": true
    },
    ...

Note the self-deleting statement in the bat file as well as continueOnError flag in the action. This is to only have 1 action instead of two, and to not check in the batch file into the source control.