How to Compile C# in Command Line

1. Compile C# in Command Line
2. Set Up C# Compiler Environment
3. Compile C# Program in Command Line

We will introduce how to compile C# in the command line.

Compile C# in Command Line

C# is an overall object-oriented, general-purpose programming language. The current version of C# is version 8.0, and it is one of the languages for Common Language Infrastructure.

C# is syntactically similar to Java and is simple for users familiar with Java, C, or C++.

C# is easier to code and learn because it is syntactically comparable to other widely used languages. C# programs can be written in any popular text editor, such as geddit, Notepad++, and others, or with any compilers.

After we’ve finished coding the program, save it as a .cs file. Online IDEs such as CodeChef, GeeksforGeeks, and others can be used to run C# projects without having to install anything.

A C# program can also be run using command-line options.

Now let’s discuss how we can set up the compiler environment.

Set Up C# Compiler Environment

We can easily set up the compiler environment by following the below steps.

Compile C# Program in Command Line

Once we have set up the environment, now we can easily compile and execute C# code through the command line. We can even save the code in a .cs file and execute it using the command line with the following code.

csc main.cs

If there are no errors in our application, it will create a main.exe file in the same directory as the program. Assume we named the program main.cs when we saved it.

As a result, on cmd, type csc main.cs. main.exe will be created.

There are two ways to run main.exe now. To begin, input the filename, such as main, into the cmd bar, and the output will appear.

Second, we can look for main.exe in the directory where we saved our program. Double-click that file, and the output will appear.

Advantages of Using Command Line in C#

Saving time and allowing you to address issues after a system or GUI (Graphical User Interface) application crash are two advantages of using Command Prompt to run programs and finish tasks. Using Command Prompt to get information or perform activities is sometimes a significantly faster option.

Since the application does not have to process graphical components, running a program on Command Prompt usually uses less memory space and time than running a program on GUI. Even if your processor is slow, Command Prompt can still be useful.

Command-Line Better Than Visual Studio in C#

The .NET framework is free, but Visual Studio is not. Secondly, C# allows programmers to run on a wide range of operating systems.

Although there is now just one C# compiler accessible from Microsoft, additional platforms such as MACINTOSH, UNIX, and LINUX will be available in the future, so we use Notepad and cmd for programming.