Welcome to this comprehensive guide on installing the latest version of Dotnet SDK 8 on your Windows operating system. This blog will also walk you through creating a simple “Hello World” .NET project. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to get started with .NET development, so let’s dive in!
Downloading Dotnet SDK 8
To begin, you need to download the Dotnet SDK. Here’s how:
- Open your web browser and type Dotnet SDK download in the search bar, then hit enter.
- Click on the official link from dotnet.microsoft.com.
- Once on the website, you will see the latest version available for download. If you are reading this at a later date, you might see newer versions, such as version 9 or 10.
- Click on Download .NET SDK x64 to start the download.
After the download is complete, navigate to your Downloads directory. You should see the file named dotnet-sdk-8.2.4 (or a similar version).
Installing Dotnet SDK 8
Now that you’ve downloaded the SDK, let’s proceed with the installation:
- Double-click on the installer file to launch the Microsoft .NET SDK 8.0 installation wizard.
- Click on Install and grant any necessary administrator privileges when prompted.
- Wait a few minutes as the installation completes.
Once the installation is successful, you can close the installer. Now, let’s verify that Dotnet SDK 8 has been installed correctly.
Verifying the Installation
To ensure that Dotnet SDK 8 is installed correctly, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key and type CMD, then hit enter to open the Command Prompt.
- In the Command Prompt, type dotnet –info and press enter.
If the installation is successful, you will see detailed information regarding the installed version of Dotnet SDK.
Creating Your First .NET Project
Now that we have Dotnet SDK installed, let’s create a simple “Hello World” project:
- Right-click on your desktop and select New > Folder. Name it Dotnet Projects.
- Open this folder and click on the address bar, type CMD, and hit enter. This opens the Command Prompt in that directory.
- To create a Windows Forms application, type dotnet new winforms -n DemoProject and hit enter.
Note that if you encounter an error stating that no template or subcommand matching “winform” was found, it is likely due to a small mistake in the command. To see available project templates, you can type dotnet new –list.
Understanding Project Templates
For Windows Forms applications, ensure you use the correct short name. The command should be:
dotnet new winforms -n DemoProjectFor a console application, the command would be:
dotnet new console -n DemoProjectAfter successfully creating your project, navigate to the project folder by typing:
cd DemoProject
Building Your Project
Next, let’s build the project:
- In the Command Prompt, type dotnet build and hit enter.
You should see a message indicating that the build was successful with zero warnings and errors. This means your project is ready to run!
Running Your Application
To run your application, navigate to the bin directory within your project folder:
cd bin\Debug\net8.0Now type the following command to execute your application:
DemoProject.exe
Your Windows Forms application should now open, albeit with a blank interface since we haven’t added any functionality yet. This is a great starting point!
Next Steps and Recommendations
While you can create simple projects using the Command Prompt, I recommend using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Microsoft Visual Studio for more complex applications. Visual Studio provides a graphical user interface that simplifies the development process, allowing you to easily create forms, buttons, and other UI elements.
For more detailed guidance on using Visual Studio, check out the related video on our channel where I explain how to install it and create various projects.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed Dotnet SDK 8 and created your first .NET project. This is just the beginning of your journey into .NET development. Don’t forget to bookmark to our Blog for more tutorials and updates.
