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Setting up the environment

Setting Up Your C# Development Environment

🚀 Setting Up Your C# Development Environment

If you’re ready to dive into C# and .NET development, the first step is setting up a proper environment. This includes installing the .NET SDK, choosing an IDE, and configuring essential tools.

1️⃣ Install the .NET SDK

The .NET SDK provides everything you need to build, run, and publish .NET applications.

✅ Download & Install .NET SDK

  1. Visit the official .NET download page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download
  2. Download the latest .NET SDK (LTS version recommended).
  3. Run the installer and follow the instructions.

✅ Verify Installation

dotnet --version

If installed correctly, you’ll see the installed .NET version.

2️⃣ Choose an IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

You need an IDE or code editor to write and manage your C# projects.

Option 1: Visual Studio (Recommended)

  • Best for: Large projects, ASP.NET Core, enterprise development
  • Features: Advanced debugging, IntelliSense, built-in .NET tools

Steps:

  1. Download Visual Studio Community Edition (Free): https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
  2. Select these workloads during installation:
    • ✅ .NET Desktop Development
    • ✅ ASP.NET and Web Development

Option 2: Visual Studio Code (Lightweight)

  • Best for: Quick coding, cross-platform, minimal setup
  • Features: Extensions for C#, lightweight, fast

Steps:

  1. Download VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/downloadhttps://code.visualstudio.com/download
  2. Install the C# Extension:
    • Open VS Code
    • Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
    • Search for C# (by Microsoft)
    • Click Install

3️⃣ Create Your First C# Project

Once the SDK and IDE are ready, let’s create a simple console app.

mkdir MyFirstApp
cd MyFirstApp
dotnet new console

Open the project in VS Code:

code .

Or in Visual Studio:

  • Open Visual Studio
  • Click Open a project or solution
  • Navigate to your MyFirstApp folder

4️⃣ Run Your C# Program

The default Program.cs looks like this:

using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
    }
}

Run the program:

dotnet run

✅ Output:

Hello, World!

5️⃣ (Optional) Install Git for Version Control

If you plan to manage code versions, install Git: