How to Install .NET Core Console App on Windows to Get Executed Directly from Command Prompt

Welcome to this step-by-step guide on how to install a .NET Core console app on Windows and configure it to run directly from the command prompt. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to create, publish, and execute your .NET Core console app seamlessly from the command line. So, let’s dive in!

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following installed on your Windows machine:

• .NET Core SDK (any version, but we’ll use 3.1 in this example)
• Visual Studio Code (or any other code editor of your choice)
• A basic understanding of .NET Core and C# programming

Step 1: Create a New .NET Core Console App

Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where you want to create your new project. Type the following command to create a new .NET Core console app:

dotnet new console -o MyConsoleApp

This will create a new directory called `MyConsoleApp` with the basic files needed for a .NET Core console app.

Step 2: Explore the Project Structure

Let’s take a look at the project structure:

MyConsoleApp/
MyConsoleApp.csproj
Program.cs

The `MyConsoleApp.csproj` file contains the project settings, and `Program.cs` is where you’ll write your C# code.

Step 3: Write Your C# Code

Edit the `Program.cs` file and add the following code:

using System;

namespace MyConsoleApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
        }
    }
}

This code simply prints “Hello, World!” to the console when run.

Step 4: Compile and Run the App

Compile the app by running the following command in the terminal:

dotnet build

Then, run the app using:

dotnet run

You should see the “Hello, World!” message in the console.

Step 5: Publish the App

Publish the app using the following command:

dotnet publish -c Release

This will create a `MyConsoleApp.exe` file in the `bin\Release\netcoreapp3.1` directory.

Step 6: Configure the App to Run from Command Prompt

To run the app directly from the command prompt, we need to add the published executable to the system’s PATH environment variable. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the Start menu (or Press the Windows key + X) and select System.
2. Click on Advanced system settings.
3. Click on Environment Variables.
4. Under the System Variables section, scroll down and find the Path variable, then click Edit.
5. Click New and add the path to the `MyConsoleApp.exe` file (e.g., `C:\Path\To\MyConsoleApp\bin\Release\netcoreapp3.1`).
6. Click OK to close all the windows.

Step 7: Run the App from Command Prompt

Open a new command prompt and type the following:

MyConsoleApp

You should see the “Hello, World!” message in the console. Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and configured your .NET Core console app to run directly from the command prompt.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues during the process, here are some common solutions:

Issue	Solution
Error: “dotnet” is not recognized as an internal or external command	Make sure you have .NET Core SDK installed and added to the system’s PATH environment variable.
Error: “MyConsoleApp.exe” is not recognized as an internal or external command	Verify that the path to the `MyConsoleApp.exe` file is correct and added to the system’s PATH environment variable.
The app doesn’t run when typing “MyConsoleApp” in the command prompt	Check that the `MyConsoleApp.exe` file is in the correct directory and the path is correct in the system’s PATH environment variable.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the step-by-step process of installing and configuring a .NET Core console app on Windows to run directly from the command prompt. By following these instructions, you should now be able to create, publish, and execute your own .NET Core console apps with ease. Happy coding!

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Frequently Asked Question

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