dot-net-core-command-line-interface-cli

.NET Core Command-Line Interface (CLI)

The .NET Core Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a cross-platform tool used to create, restore packages, build, run, and publish .NET applications.

In the previous chapter, we created our first ASP.NET Core application using Visual Studio. Internally, Visual Studio leverages the CLI to handle tasks like restoring dependencies, building the solution, and publishing the app. Other IDEs, editors, and tools can also use the CLI to work with .NET Core applications.

The CLI is included with the .NET Core SDK, so there’s no need for a separate installation. To verify if the CLI is installed on your system:

Open the Command Prompt (on Windows).
Type dotnet and press Enter.
If the usage and help information is displayed, the CLI is installed correctly.

CLI Command Structure

The general structure of a .NET Core CLI command is:

dotnet <command> <arguments> <options>

dotnet: The CLI driver that initiates the command.
<command>: The specific action to perform (e.g., build, run, restore).
<arguments> and <options>: Parameters and modifiers for the command.

Common CLI Commands

Basic Commands

Command	Description
`new`	Creates a new project, configuration file, or solution from a template.
`restore`	Restores project dependencies and tools.
`build`	Builds the project and its dependencies.
`run`	Runs the source code directly.
`publish`	Packages the app and its dependencies for deployment.
`test`	Executes unit tests in the project.
`vstest`	Runs tests from specified test assemblies.
`pack`	Packs code into a NuGet package.
`clean`	Cleans the build output of the project.
`sln`	Modifies a .NET Core solution file.
`help`	Displays help information about CLI commands.
`store`	Stores specified assemblies in the runtime package store.

Project Modification Commands

Command	Description
`add package`	Adds a NuGet package reference.
`add reference`	Adds a project-to-project (P2P) reference.
`remove package`	Removes a NuGet package reference.
`remove reference`	Removes a P2P reference.
`list reference`	Lists all P2P references in the project.

Advanced Commands

Command	Description
`nuget delete`	Deletes or unlists a package from the NuGet server.
`nuget locals`	Clears or lists local NuGet resources.
`nuget push`	Pushes a package to the NuGet server.
`msbuild`	Builds a project using MSBuild.
`install script`	Installs .NET Core CLI tools and the shared runtime.

Working with CLI: Example

Let’s walk through creating, restoring, building, and running a .NET Core console application using the CLI (without Visual Studio).

1. Create a New Project

To create a new console project in the current directory:

dotnet new console

To create a new project named MyConsoleApp:

dotnet new console -n MyConsoleApp

To create it in a specific directory (e.g., C:\MyProjects):

dotnet new console -n MyConsoleApp -o C:\MyProjects

Navigate to the project directory before running additional commands:

cd C:\MyProjects\MyConsoleApp

2. Add a NuGet Package

To add the Newtonsoft.Json package:

dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json

You can confirm the package reference by opening the .csproj file.

3. Restore Packages

To restore project dependencies:

dotnet restore

4. Build the Project

To compile the project:

dotnet build

5. Run the Project

To execute the application:

dotnet run

Getting Help

To display help for any command, append -h or --help. For example:

dotnet new -h

This will show available templates, arguments, and options for the new command.