A console application is a type of program in which the user interacts with the program through a console or command-line interface. Console applications are useful for running background tasks, automating processes, and performing system-level operations. In this article, we will discuss console applications in C# for both .NET Framework and .NET Core.

.NET Framework Console Application

.NET Framework is a Windows-only framework that supports building desktop, web, and mobile applications. To create a console application in .NET Framework, follow these steps:

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new project.
2. Choose Console Application under Visual C# in the New Project dialog box.
3. Specify the project name and location, and click OK.
4. The console application will be created with a Program.cs file that contains a Main() method. This method is the entry point for the application, and it is where you write the code for the application.

Here is an example of a simple console application that prompts the user to enter their name and then prints a greeting message:

using System;

namespace HelloWorld
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.Write("Enter your name: ");
            string name = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, " + name + "!");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

When you run the application, the console window will open and prompt you to enter your name. Once you enter your name, the application will print a greeting message.

.NET Core Console Application

.NET Core is a cross-platform framework that supports building desktop, web, and mobile applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux. To create a console application in .NET Core, follow these steps:

1. Open Visual Studio Code or any other code editor that supports .NET Core.
2. Open the terminal window and navigate to the directory where you want to create the project.
3. Run the following command to create a new console application:

dotnet new console -o HelloWorld

4. The console application will be created with a Program.cs file that contains a Main() method.

Here is an example of a simple console application in .NET Core that prompts the user to enter their name and then prints a greeting message:

using System;

namespace HelloWorld
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.Write("Enter your name: ");
            string name = Console.ReadLine();
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, " + name + "!");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

When you run the application, the console window will open and prompt you to enter your name. Once you enter your name, the application will print a greeting message.

Result

Console applications are an important type of program that can be used for various tasks. In this article, we discussed console applications in C# for both .NET Framework and .NET Core. While the steps for creating a console application may differ slightly between the two frameworks, the basic concepts remain the same. With the knowledge gained from this article, you can start creating your own console applications in C#.