A2oz

How to Build a .NET Project in Visual Studio Code?

Published in Software Development 3 mins read

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a powerful and versatile code editor that can be used to build .NET projects. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Install the Necessary Tools

  • .NET SDK: Download and install the .NET SDK from the official website: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download. This provides the tools needed to compile and run .NET applications.
  • Visual Studio Code: Download and install VS Code from the official website: https://code.visualstudio.com/. This is the code editor you'll use to write and manage your .NET project.

2. Set Up Your Project

  • Create a New Folder: Create a new folder for your project. This will house all your project files.
  • Initialize the Project: Open your terminal and navigate to the project folder. Run the following command to initialize a new .NET project:
      dotnet new console -o <your-project-name>

    Replace <your-project-name> with the desired name for your project. This command will create a new .NET console application within your folder.

3. Install the C# Extension

  • Open VS Code: Open VS Code and open your project folder.
  • Install the C# Extension: Search for and install the "C# for Visual Studio Code" extension from the VS Code marketplace. This extension provides IntelliSense, debugging, and other features for C# development.

4. Write Your Code

  • Open the Program.cs File: Open the Program.cs file in your project. This is where you'll write your C# code.
  • Add Your Logic: Write your C# code within the Main method. For example, you could add a simple Console.WriteLine statement to print a message to the console.

5. Build and Run Your Project

  • Build: From the terminal, navigate to your project folder and run the following command:
      dotnet build

    This will compile your code and create an executable file.

  • Run: To run your application, use the following command:
      dotnet run

    This will execute your compiled code and display the output in the terminal.

6. Debugging (Optional)

  • Set Breakpoints: Click in the left margin of your code editor to set breakpoints where you want the execution to pause.
  • Start Debugging: Press F5 to start debugging. The debugger will pause at your breakpoints, allowing you to inspect variables and step through your code.

7. Additional Resources

Related Articles