Getting Started with .NET

Welcome to .NET! This guide will walk you through the essential steps to get up and running with the .NET platform. Whether you're new to development or experienced with other frameworks, .NET offers a powerful, flexible, and modern platform for building a wide variety of applications.

What is .NET?

.NET is a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications. With .NET, you can:

Build web, IoT, mobile, desktop, and cloud applications.
Use C#, F#, or Visual Basic for development.
Leverage a rich ecosystem of libraries and tools.
Achieve high performance and scalability.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

.NET SDK: The .NET Software Development Kit (SDK) includes the .NET runtime, the [.NET CLI](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/tools/), and libraries needed to build and run .NET applications.

You can download the latest .NET SDK from the official [dotnet.microsoft.com](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/) website.

Installation Guide

Download the SDK: Visit dotnet.microsoft.com/download and select the appropriate installer for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
Run the Installer: Follow the on-screen instructions. The installer will add the .NET SDK to your system's PATH, allowing you to use the dotnet command from any terminal.
Verify Installation: Open a new terminal or command prompt and run the following command to check the installed version:
```
dotnet --version
```
You should see the version number of the .NET SDK you just installed.

Your First .NET Application

Let's create a simple "Hello, World!" console application to verify your setup.

Create a new project: In your terminal, navigate to the directory where you want to create your project and run the following command:
```
dotnet new console -o MyFirstApp
```
This command creates a new console application project named "MyFirstApp" in a new directory.
Navigate to the project directory:
```
cd MyFirstApp
```
Run the application:
```
dotnet run
```
You should see the output:
```
Hello, World!
```

Congratulations! You've successfully set up .NET and created your first application.

Next Steps

Now that you're set up, you can explore various types of .NET applications:

Dive deeper into the documentation to discover the full potential of .NET.