Creating a Console Application from Scratch

Introduction

In the software development industry, the ability to follow instructions—whether verbal, visual, or written—is crucial. In this advanced tutorial, you’ll start by building a C# console application from scratch. This foundational task will serve as a precursor to a more complex assignment, preparing you to tackle real-world programming challenges with precision.

Objective

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a functional C# console application. This application will later be expanded with additional features in subsequent parts of the assignment.

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio (Community, Professional, or Enterprise) installed on your computer.
• Basic knowledge of C# programming.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Environment

1. Launch Visual Studio:
   • Open Visual Studio. On the start window, select Create a new project.
2. Choose the Project Type:
   • In the “Create a new project” window, you’ll see a list of templates. Type “console” into the search bar to filter the options and select Console App (.NET Core). Click Next.
3. Configure Your Project:
   • Enter a name for your project in the Project name field.
   • Choose a location to save your project by clicking on the Location button.
   • Ensure that the Framework is set to a recent version of .NET Core (preferably .NET 5.0 or later). Click Next.
4. Review and Create:
   • Review your project settings and click Create to initialize your new console application.

Step 2: Understanding the Default Structure

Once your project is created, Visual Studio opens the main code file, typically named Program.cs. This file contains a basic “Hello World” program. Here’s what the default code looks like:

csharpCopy codeusing System;

namespace YourProjectName
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");
        }
    }
}

Step 3: Running Your First C# Program

1. Understanding the Code:
   • using System; includes the System namespace which contains fundamental classes for basic system operations.
   • The namespace declaration organizes your code and can contain multiple classes.
   • class Program declares a class named Program.
   • static void Main(string[] args) defines the entry point of the program where execution starts. It’s a method called Main.
2. Execute the Program:
   • To run your program, click on the green play button at the top of the Visual Studio interface, or press F5. This will compile and execute your application.
   • A console window will open, displaying the text “Hello World!” confirming that your application is working correctly.

Step 4: Modifying Your Application

Let’s modify the application to take user input and respond accordingly.

1. Modify the Main Method:
   • Replace the existing Console.WriteLine("Hello World!"); line with the following code:

csharpCopy codeConsole.WriteLine("Enter your name: ");
string name = Console.ReadLine();
Console.WriteLine($"Hello, {name}!");

2. Understanding the Changes:
   • Console.ReadLine() is a method that reads a line of text from the console input.
   • The new code asks the user for their name and greets them personally.
3. Run the Modified Program:
   • Run your program again using F5. Enter your name when prompted, and observe the personalized greeting.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve set up and modified your first C# console application. This exercise is foundational for the upcoming parts of the assignment, where you will add more complex features and functionalities.

Stay tuned for the next part of the assignment where you will expand upon this application, integrating more advanced programming concepts.