MSDN Documentation

Introduction to Visual Studio Project Types

Visual Studio provides a rich set of project templates to help you quickly start developing applications for various platforms and technologies. Each project type comes pre-configured with the necessary references, build settings, and default files to streamline your development workflow.

Understanding the different project types available is crucial for selecting the right foundation for your software. This document outlines some of the most common and fundamental project types you'll encounter when using Visual Studio.

C# Projects

Projects developed using the C# programming language are versatile and widely used for building a broad range of applications.

Console Applications

Ideal for command-line utilities, batch processes, and simple scripts. They run in a console window and don't have a graphical user interface.

dotnet new console -o MyConsoleApp

WPF Applications

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) projects are used to create rich, modern, and visually appealing desktop applications with a flexible UI framework and declarative XAML for UI design.

dotnet new wpf -o MyWpfApp

WinForms Applications

Windows Forms (WinForms) projects are a classic choice for building traditional Windows desktop applications with a drag-and-drop interface designer.

dotnet new winforms -o MyWinFormsApp

Web Applications

Develop dynamic websites and web services using ASP.NET Core. This includes Razor Pages, MVC applications, and Web APIs.

dotnet new webapp -o MyWebApp

Class Libraries

Create reusable code libraries that can be referenced by other projects. These contain classes, methods, and other code components without a direct executable interface.

dotnet new classlib -o MyClassLibrary

VB.NET Projects

For developers who prefer Visual Basic .NET, Visual Studio offers analogous project types.

Console Applications

Similar to C# console applications, these are for command-line tasks.

WPF Applications

Build WPF applications using VB.NET syntax.

WinForms Applications

Develop traditional Windows desktop applications with VB.NET.

Web Applications

Create web applications and services using ASP.NET Core with VB.NET.

Class Libraries

Package reusable VB.NET code into libraries.

C++ Projects

Visual Studio provides comprehensive support for C++ development, enabling the creation of native Windows applications, libraries, and more.

Console Applications

Build command-line applications using C++.

Dynamic-Link Libraries (DLLs)

Create shared libraries that can be loaded at runtime by multiple applications.

Static Libraries

Compile libraries directly into the executable, leading to larger executables but simpler deployment.

Windows Desktop Applications

Develop native Windows applications using MFC, Win32, or other frameworks.

F# Projects

F# is a functional-first, general-purpose programming language that integrates well with the .NET ecosystem. Visual Studio supports creating F# console applications, libraries, and web projects.

Other Project Types

Beyond the core language-specific projects, Visual Studio supports a wide array of other project types, including:

• Universal Windows Platform (UWP) Apps: For modern Windows Store applications.
• Azure Functions: Serverless compute services.
• Unity 3D Projects: Game development with the Unity engine.
• Database Projects: For managing SQL Server databases.
• Extensibility Projects: For creating Visual Studio extensions.