In .NET Framework, a .NET tool for command line, to provide a command line tool to compile code files into the DLL or executable, "csc.exe" can be used. Source file which is being planned to be compiled can be a text file.
To demonstrate how to use csc.exe to compile a CS code file into DLL, following Class library code file "classlibrary.cs" is used.
Content of classlibrary.cs:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
namespace NS_hardwareOperations
{
public class CL_hardwares
{
protected string clv_hardwareID;
public CL_hardwares()
{
clv_hardwareID = "unknown";
}
public void clf_displayInfo()
{
Console.WriteLine("Hardware ID is" + clv_hardwareID);
}
}
}
In order to compile a file from command line, "csc.exe" provides following common compile parameters.
Target: library (compiles a CS file as DLL)
Target: winexe (compiles a CS file as Windows Form Application)
Target: exe (compiles a CS file as console application)
Target: module (compiles a CS file with assemblyinfo as module, but without assembly manifest within)
Reference : fileName.dll (specifies a reference Assembly-DLL for the compiled CS file
How to compile a CS file as DLL: To compile a CS extension file as DLL, following syntax is used. In a folder: a cs file with above mentioned code within is hosted. To use "csc.exe" from windows command prompt ("cmd.exe"), It may be required to add the path of "csc.exe" to use it in another directory in command line (Visual Studio command prompt defines variable paths automatically).
To add path of "csc.exe" following syntax is used.
C:\Windows.old\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5
Folder path can vary depending on the framework version that is used. To find the path of "csc.exe" from command line, command prompt command "dir csc.exe /s" can show the directory name where it is hosted.
After the path is added to the folder that CS file is hosted, "csc.exe" is called as following syntax to compile CS file as DLL.
Following the command line screen-shot indicates that the file is compiled as DLL within same folder to be used.