.NET Core SDK Overview

The .NET Core SDK (Software Development Kit) is a set of tools that enables you to develop, build, test, and publish .NET Core applications. It includes the .NET Core runtime, the Common Language Runtime (CLR), the .NET Standard library, and various command-line tools.

Key Components of the SDK

.NET CLI

The command-line interface for .NET development. Used for creating, building, running, and publishing projects.

Compilers

Includes the C#, F#, and Visual Basic compilers necessary to compile your .NET code.

Runtime Libraries

Provides the base class libraries (BCL) and framework assemblies that your applications depend on.

NuGet Package Manager

The default package manager for .NET, used to consume and produce packages.

Using the .NET CLI

The .NET CLI is your primary interface for interacting with the .NET Core SDK. Here are some common commands:

dotnet new console -o MyConsoleApp
dotnet build
dotnet run
dotnet publish
dotnet test

Installation and Updates

To get the latest version of the .NET Core SDK, visit the official download page. You can manage installed SDK versions using the `dotnet` command.

Further Reading