Overview of dotnet CLI
The .NET Command Line Interface, also known as dotnet CLI, is a tool that developers can use to build, run, and test .NET applications. It comes with a suite of commands that allow developers to perform tasks such as creating a new project, adding dependencies, and publishing an application. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the dotnet CLI and explore some of its most useful features.
Getting Started with the dotnet CLI
Before we dive into the details, let’s take a quick look at how to install and use the dotnet CLI. First, make sure that you have .NET Core installed on your machine. You can download it from the official website (https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download).
Once you have .NET Core installed, open a terminal window and run the following command:
“`
dotnet –version
“`
This will show you the version of the dotnet CLI that you have installed. If you don’t get any errors, you’re ready to start using the CLI.
Creating a New Project
One of the most common tasks that developers use the dotnet CLI for is creating new projects. To do this, run the following command:
“`
dotnet new
“`
Here, is a placeholder for the type of project you want to create. There are several templates available, including console, web, class library, and more. For example, to create a new console application project, you could run:
“`
dotnet new console
“`
This will create a new folder with the project files for your console application.
Adding Dependencies
Another important feature of the dotnet CLI is the ability to add dependencies to your project. To do this, you use the following command:
“`
dotnet add package
Here,
“`
dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
“`
This will download and install the package, as well as update your project file to include a reference to it.
Building and Running Your Application
Once you’ve created your project and added any necessary dependencies, you’re ready to build and run your application. To build your project, simply run:
“`
dotnet build
“`
This will compile your code and create an executable file that you can run. To run your application, use the following command:
“`
dotnet run
“`
This will execute your application and display any output in the terminal window.
Publishing Your Application
Finally, if you’re ready to publish your application for deployment, you can use the dotnet publish command. This command will package your application and all of its dependencies into a standalone executable file that you can deploy to a server or cloud platform.
To publish your application, run the following command:
“`
dotnet publish -c Release -o
“`
Here, -c Release tells dotnet CLI to build your application in release mode, which optimizes the code for performance. The -o
FAQs
How do I update the dotnet CLI?
To update the dotnet CLI, you can run the following command:
“`
dotnet tool update -g dotnet
“`
This will update the global installation of the dotnet CLI to the latest version.
How do I create a new project with a custom name?
To create a new project with a custom name, you can use the -n option:
“`
dotnet new console -n
Here,
How do I remove a package from my project?
To remove a package from your project, use the following command:
“`
dotnet remove package
Here,
How do I target a specific runtime or framework version?
To target a specific runtime or framework version, use the following command:
“`
dotnet build -r
“`
Here,
How do I list all available templates?
To list all available templates, use the following command:
“`
dotnet new –list
“`
This will display a list of all available templates along with a description for each one.