To build your first .NET application, you'll need to install the .NET SDK, Visual Studio Code, and C# Dev Kit.
The .NET SDK (Software Development Kit) is a free and open-source collection of tools and libraries you will need to build and run applications using C#. C# is the modern object-oriented programming language you will be using for this tutorial.
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is the world's most popular lightweight, free, and open-source code editor. This is where you will write your C# code.
C# Dev Kit is a powerful set of VS Code extensions that makes C# development easier. It helps you write, test, and debug your code as you build apps.
The .NET Winget Configuration file will install the .NET 8 SDK, VS Code, and C# Dev Kit for you. If you already have something installed, Winget will skip that installation step.
To build your first .NET application with Visual Studio Code, set up your environment:
Open VS Code and select the Extensions button in VS Code's Activity Bar to the left. Type C# in the search bar, select C# Dev Kit, and then select the Install button on the C# Dev Kit extension page.
After double clicking the file, a terminal will open and you will see the Winget Configuration file is ready to install the .NET 8 SDK, VS Code if you do not have it, and C# Dev Kit.
Read the license agreement and agree to it by typing "y" in the terminal and pressing Enter.
Note: You are responsible for understanding the configuration settings you are choosing to execute. Microsoft is not responsible for the configuration file you have authored or imported. This configuration may change settings in Windows, install software, change software settings (including security settings), and accept user agreements to third-party packages and services on your behalf. By running this configuration file, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to these resources and settings. Any applications installed are licensed to you by their owners. Microsoft is not responsible for, nor does it grant any licenses to, third-party packages or services.
Winget is now installing everything you need to get started! It should take about 5 minutes to complete and when it is done you will see the output below in the terminal.
After double clicking the file, Dev Home will open and you will see the Winget Configuration file is ready to install the .NET 8 SDK, VS Code if you do not have it, and C# Dev Kit.
Read the license agreement and agree to it by clicking "I agree and want to continue" in the bottom left and then clicking "Set up as admin" in the bottom right. Select "Yes" when asked if you want to allow Dev Home to make changes to your device.
Note: You are responsible for understanding the configuration settings you are choosing to execute. Microsoft is not responsible for the configuration file you have authored or imported. This configuration may change settings in Windows, install software, change software settings (including security settings), and accept user agreements to third-party packages and services on your behalf. By running this configuration file, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to these resources and settings. Any applications installed are licensed to you by their owners. Microsoft is not responsible for, nor does it grant any licenses to, third-party packages or services.
Dev Home is now installing everything you need to get started! It should take about 5 minutes to complete and when it is done you will see the output below in the window.
Check everything installed correctly
Now that your environment is set up, go to the Search in your Windows Taskbar, and type Visual Studio Code. Click the application to open VS Code.
Once you've set up your environment, open a new VS Code terminal. In the toolbar, select Terminal, then New Terminal.
Note: Please note that if you open VS Code through a terminal, you will need to enable Workspace Trust.
Now open a new terminal by going to the toolbar and selecting Terminal, then New Terminal.
In your terminal, run the following command to check your installation.
Terminal
dotnet
If the installation succeeded, you should see an output similar to the following:
Terminal
Usage: dotnet [options]Usage: dotnet [path-to-application]Options:-h|--help Display help.--info Display .NET information.--list-sdks Display the installed SDKs.--list-runtimes Display the installed runtimes.path-to-application:The path to an application .dll file to execute.
If everything looks good, select the Continue button below to go to the next step.
Got an error?
If you receive a 'dotnet' is not recognized as an internal or external command error, make sure you opened a new VS Code terminal. If restarting VS Code or restarting your machine doesn't resolve the issue, use the I ran into an issue button to get help fixing the problem.
Create your app
Open the command palette in VS Code by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+P.
Open the command palette in VS Code by pressing CMD+SHIFT+P.
Type .NET: to see the commands you can run with C# Dev Kit!
Find and select .NET: New Project to create a new .NET project.
Scroll down and select Console App.
Choose the folder location you'd like to save your project.
Name the project MyConsoleApp in the command palette when prompted.
Enable Workspace Trust by checking the box and selecting Yes, I trust the authors.
If you have a Visual Studio Subscription, sign into your account. If you do not see a prompt pop up, click on the C# icon in VS Code's Status Bar towards the bottom right of your window.
In the Side Bar, make sure the VS Code Explorer is open. Here you will see the MyConsoleApp folder and the Solution Explorer.Follow along with the video below to: collapse the MyConsoleApp folder, open the Solution Explorer, open the MyConsoleApp project, and drag and drop the Solution Explorer higher.
Collapse the MyConsoleApp folder in the VS Code Explorer.
Click on the chevron to the left of the Solution Explorer to expand it.
Click on the chevron to the left of the MyConsoleApp project in the Solution Explorer to expand it.
Drag and drop the Solution Explorer below MyConsoleApp.
The main file in the MyConsoleApp folder is called Program.cs. By default, it already contains the necessary code to write Hello, World! to the terminal. Click on the file to see the code created by the template:
Select the Continue button below to go to the next step.
Got an error?
If you can't resolve the issue you're having, select the I ran into an issue button below to get help fixing the problem.
Run your app
To run your application, select the dropdown menu to the right of the run button in the top right, and select Run project associated with this file.
You should see Hello, World! in your VS Code terminal.
Terminal
Hello, World!
Congratulations, you've built and run your first .NET app! Select the Continue button below to go to the next step.
Edit your code
In the Program.cs file, add the highlighted line after the code that prints Hello, World!, like the following:
Program.cs
// See https://aka.ms/new-console-template for more informationConsole.WriteLine("Hello, World!");Console.WriteLine("The current time is " + DateTime.Now);
Save the Program.cs file and select Run project associated with the file again. If you succeed, you should see an output similar to the following:
Terminal
Hello, World!
The current time is 12/22/2024 11:53:48 AM
Next steps
Congratulations, you've built and run your first .NET app!
Keep learning
To keep learning general .NET skills, try our tutorials on Microsoft Learn where you'll learn about .NET, dependencies, working with files, debugging, and more:
C# is .NET's modern, innovative, open-source programming language for building all your apps. Get started by trying our C# interactive tutorials on Microsoft Learn:
