Building .NET Applications with dotnet build (with examples)

The dotnet build command is a powerful tool in the .NET ecosystem that allows developers to compile their .NET applications and their dependencies. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the dotnet build command and provide code examples to illustrate each case.

Use Case 1: Compile the project or solution in the current directory

dotnet build

Motivation: This command is used when you want to compile the project or solution in the current directory. It automatically restores the project dependencies before compilation.

Explanation: This command searches for a project file in the current directory and compiles it. If a solution file is found, it compiles the entire solution. It also restores the project dependencies before compilation.

Example Output:

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  Restore completed in 105.44 ms for C:\path\to\project\MyProject.csproj.
  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\Debug\net5.0\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.25

Use Case 2: Compile a .NET project or solution in debug mode

dotnet build path/to/project_or_solution

Motivation: This command is used when you want to compile a specific .NET project or solution in debug mode. Debug mode allows developers to build their applications with additional debugging information.

Explanation: This command accepts a path to the project or solution file that you want to compile. It compiles the specified project or solution in debug mode, which includes additional debugging information in the compiled output.

Example Output:

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  Restore completed in 105.44 ms for C:\path\to\project\MyProject.csproj.
  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\Debug\net5.0\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.25

Use Case 3: Compile in release mode

dotnet build --configuration Release

Motivation: This command is used when you want to compile your application in release mode. Release mode optimizes the compiled code for performance and strips out debugging information.

Explanation: This command compiles the project or solution in release mode, which optimizes the compiled code for performance. It removes debugging symbols, reducing the size of the compiled output.

Example Output:

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  Restore completed in 105.44 ms for C:\path\to\project\MyProject.csproj.
  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\Release\net5.0\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.25

Use Case 4: Compile without restoring dependencies

dotnet build --no-restore

Motivation: This command is used when you want to compile your project or solution without restoring the project dependencies. This can be useful when you have already restored the dependencies and want to save time during the build process.

Explanation: This command skips the step of restoring project dependencies before compilation. It assumes that the dependencies have already been restored and proceeds directly to the compilation step.

Example Output:

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\Debug\net5.0\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.72

Use Case 5: Compile with a specific verbosity level

dotnet build --verbosity quiet|minimal|normal|detailed|diagnostic

Motivation: This command is used to control the verbosity level of the build output. Different verbosity levels provide varying amounts of detail about the build process.

Explanation: This command allows you to specify the verbosity level of the build output. The available verbosity levels are: quiet, minimal, normal, detailed, and diagnostic. Each level provides a different amount of detail about the build process, with quiet being the least verbose and diagnostic being the most verbose.

Example Output (with --verbosity minimal):

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.95

Use Case 6: Compile for a specific runtime

dotnet build --runtime runtime_identifier

Motivation: This command is used when you want to compile your project or solution for a specific runtime. Different runtimes may have different dependencies or behavior, so it is important to compile for the correct runtime.

Explanation: This command allows you to specify a specific runtime identifier for the compilation. The runtime identifier determines the target platform and versions of the .NET runtime that the application will run on. It ensures that the compiled output is compatible with the specified runtime.

Example Output (with --runtime win-x64):

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  Restore completed in 105.44 ms for C:\path\to\project\MyProject.csproj.
  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\Debug\net5.0\win-x64\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.25

Use Case 7: Specify the output directory

dotnet build --output path/to/directory

Motivation: This command is used when you want to specify a custom output directory for the compiled files. By default, the compiled files are placed in the project’s output directory.

Explanation: This command allows you to specify a custom output directory for the compiled files. The compiled files include the executable and any associated files generated during the build process. Using this command, you can control where the compiled files are placed.

Example Output (with --output bin/custom):

Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 16.11.0+d9ebf7c1f for .NET
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

  Restore completed in 105.44 ms for C:\path\to\project\MyProject.csproj.
  MyProject -> C:\path\to\project\bin\custom\MyProject.dll

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.25

In this article, we have explored various use cases of the dotnet build command and provided code examples to illustrate each case. The dotnet build command is a versatile tool that allows developers to compile their .NET applications with different configurations and options. By understanding and utilizing these options, developers can efficiently build and deploy their .NET applications.