The dotnet command is a cross-platform .NET command-line tool used for .NET Core development. It provides a command-line interface for various tasks related to building, running, and managing .NET projects. This article provides examples of different use cases of the dotnet command.

Use case 1: Initialize a new .NET project

Code:

dotnet new template_short_name

Motivation: Initializing a new .NET project is the first step in building a new application. The dotnet new command with the template_short_name argument creates a new project based on the specified template.

Explanation:

• dotnet new: This is the base command for initializing a new project.
• template_short_name: This argument specifies the template to use for the project. Examples of template short names include console, mvc, and webapi.

Example Output:

The template "console" was created successfully.

Use case 2: Restore NuGet packages

Code:

dotnet restore

Motivation: NuGet is a package manager for .NET, and it is used to manage dependencies in a .NET project. The dotnet restore command restores the packages specified in the project’s dependencies file.

Explanation:

• dotnet restore: This command restores the NuGet packages for the project.

Example Output:

Restoring packages for C:\path\to\dotnetproject.csproj...
Generating MSBuild file C:\path\to\obj\dotnetproject.csproj.nuget.g.props.
Generating MSBuild file C:\path\to\obj\dotnetproject.csproj.nuget.g.targets.
Restore completed in 123.45 ms for C:\path\to\dotnetproject.csproj.

Use case 3: Build and execute the .NET project in the current directory

Code:

dotnet run

Motivation: Building and running a .NET project is a common task during development. The dotnet run command builds the project and runs the application in the current directory.

Explanation:

• dotnet run: This command builds and executes the application in the current directory.

Example Output:

Building...
Running...
Hello, world!

Use case 4: Run a packaged dotnet application

Code:

dotnet path/to/application.dll

Motivation: Running a packaged dotnet application is useful when you have a pre-compiled application that only requires the .NET runtime, rather than the full .NET Core SDK.

Explanation:

• dotnet: This is the base command for running .NET applications.
• path/to/application.dll: This argument specifies the path to the compiled application’s assembly file.

Example Output:

Running...
Hello, world!

Conclusion

The dotnet command is a powerful tool for managing .NET Core projects. Whether you want to initialize a new project, restore NuGet packages, build and run your project, or execute a packaged application, the dotnet command has you covered. With its cross-platform compatibility, it makes developing .NET Core applications a breeze.