Methods for configuring system environment variables in C # _c# tutorial

Before you can use any. NET SDK command-line tools, including the C # compiler, you need to configure your development computer to recognize their presence. The easiest way to do this is to use Start | All Programs | Visual Studio 2005 | Visual Studio Tools menu option to start a preconfigured Visual studio command prompt. This particular console can automatically initialize the necessary environment variables without you performing any action. (Visual Studio. NET 2003 users need to start their respective command prompts).

Note If you do not have Visual Studio, but you have installed the. NET Framework SDK, you can start | All Programs | The Microsoft. NET Framework SDK 2.0 menu option launches a preconfigured command prompt.

If you want to use the. NET command-line tool from any command prompt, you need to manually update your computer's Path variable. To do this, right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop and select the Properties menu option. From the dialog box that appears, click the Environment Variables button located below the Advanced tab. From the dialog box that appears, add the following directory listing at the end of the current Path variable in the System variable list (note that each entry must be separated by semicolons):

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.40607
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\sdk\v2.0\bin

Note the list above points to the path to my current. NET 2.0 beta. Your path may vary slightly depending on the installation and version of Visual Studio and/or. NET SDK, so be sure to perform an integrity check.

Immediately after you update the Path variable, close all dialog boxes and any currently open Console windows so that you can submit your settings. You should now be able to execute csc.exe and other. NET tools from any command prompt. To test, enter the following command:

CSC-?
ILDASM-?

If you see a lot of information showing up, you can continue.