Get Started with .NET Desktop Applications

Unlock the power of modern desktop development with .NET. Build rich, engaging, and performant applications for Windows using familiar languages like C# and Visual Basic.

This guide will walk you through the essential steps to set up your development environment and create your first .NET desktop application.

Jump to Setup

Choosing Your Desktop Framework

The .NET ecosystem offers several robust frameworks for building desktop applications, each with its strengths:

Windows Forms (WinForms)

A mature and widely adopted framework for building traditional Windows desktop applications. Excellent for rapid UI development with a visual designer.

Learn More about WinForms

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)

A more modern framework offering powerful data binding, styling, and templating capabilities. Ideal for visually rich and data-intensive applications leveraging XAML.

Learn More about WPF

.NET MAUI

Build native cross-platform applications for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android from a single codebase using C# and XAML.

Learn More about .NET MAUI

Setting Up Your Development Environment

To start building .NET desktop applications, you'll need the .NET SDK and a compatible Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

1. Install the .NET SDK

Download and install the latest .NET SDK from the official .NET website. This includes the compiler, runtime, and essential libraries.

Download .NET SDK

2. Choose Your IDE

We recommend using Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code for the best development experience.

  • Visual Studio: The comprehensive IDE for Windows development. Offers a powerful designer for WinForms and WPF.
  • Visual Studio Code: A lightweight, cross-platform code editor. Extensible with plugins for .NET development.
Visual Studio Visual Studio Code

3. Install Workloads (Visual Studio)

When installing Visual Studio, ensure you select the appropriate workloads:

  • ".NET desktop development" for WinForms and WPF.
  • ".NET Multi-platform App UI development" for .NET MAUI.

For Visual Studio Code, install the C# extension and relevant .NET MAUI extensions.

Creating Your First Desktop App

Let's create a simple "Hello, World!" application using the .NET CLI.

1. Create a Project

Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to create a new WinForms project:

dotnet new winforms -o HelloWorldApp

Navigate into the newly created directory:

cd HelloWorldApp

2. Run the Application

Execute the application using the .NET CLI:

dotnet run

You should see a simple window with a button and a label.

3. Explore the Code

Open the HelloWorldApp folder in your IDE. Examine files like Form1.cs (or .vb) and Program.cs to understand the application structure.

You can modify the code to change the text displayed or add new controls.

Next Steps

Now that you have a basic understanding, explore these resources to deepen your knowledge: