.NET Build Configuration
Build Commands
Basic Build
# Build solution/project
dotnet build
# Build specific project
dotnet build src/MyApp/MyApp.csproj
# Build with configuration
dotnet build --configuration Release
dotnet build -c Debug
# Clean build (no incremental)
dotnet build --no-incremental
# Build without restoring packages
dotnet build --no-restore
Build Output
# Specify output directory
dotnet build --output ./artifacts
# Build for specific runtime
dotnet build --runtime win-x64
dotnet build --runtime linux-x64
# Build framework-specific
dotnet build --framework net8.0
Build Configurations
Debug vs Release
<!-- Default configurations in .csproj -->
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
<DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
<Optimize>false</Optimize>
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">
<DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
<Optimize>true</Optimize>
<DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
</PropertyGroup>
Warnings as Errors
<!-- Treat all warnings as errors -->
<PropertyGroup>
<TreatWarningsAsErrors>true</TreatWarningsAsErrors>
</PropertyGroup>
<!-- Treat specific warnings as errors -->
<PropertyGroup>
<WarningsAsErrors>CS0168;CS0219</WarningsAsErrors>
</PropertyGroup>
<!-- Suppress specific warnings -->
<PropertyGroup>
<NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS1591</NoWarn>
</PropertyGroup>
Multi-Project Solutions
Solution Build
# Build entire solution
dotnet build MySolution.sln
# Build specific projects from solution
dotnet build MySolution.sln --project src/Api
# Parallel build (default)
dotnet build --maxcpucount
# Sequential build
dotnet build --maxcpucount:1
Project Dependencies
<!-- ProjectReference in .csproj -->
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectReference Include="..\Domain\Domain.csproj" />
<ProjectReference Include="..\Infrastructure\Infrastructure.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>
Build Error Categories
Compilation Errors (CS)
| Code | Description | Common Fix |
|---|
| CS0103 | Name does not exist | Check spelling, add using statement |
| CS0246 | Type/namespace not found | Add package reference, add using |
| CS1061 | Member does not exist | Check type, update interface |
| CS0029 | Cannot convert type | Add cast, fix type mismatch |
| CS0120 | Object reference required | Make static or instantiate |
Project Errors (MSB)
| Code | Description | Common Fix |
|---|
| MSB3202 | Project file not found | Fix path in ProjectReference |
| MSB4019 | Target file not found | Restore packages |
| MSB3644 | Framework not installed | Install SDK |
| MSB3245 | Reference not resolved | Restore packages, check path |
NuGet Errors (NU)
| Code | Description | Common Fix |
|---|
| NU1101 | Package not found | Check package name/source |
| NU1103 | Version not found | Check available versions |
| NU1202 | Incompatible framework | Update package or framework |
| NU1605 | Downgrade detected | Resolve version conflicts |
Package Restoration
# Restore packages
dotnet restore
# Restore with specific source
dotnet restore --source https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json
# Clear NuGet cache
dotnet nuget locals all --clear
# List packages
dotnet list package
dotnet list package --outdated
Build Diagnostics
Verbose Output
# Detailed build output
dotnet build --verbosity detailed
dotnet build -v d
# Diagnostic output (most verbose)
dotnet build --verbosity diagnostic
# Minimal output
dotnet build --verbosity quiet
Binary Log
# Generate binary log for analysis
dotnet build -bl
# View with MSBuild Structured Log Viewer
# Download from: https://msbuildlog.com/
Clean Operations
# Clean build artifacts
dotnet clean
# Clean specific configuration
dotnet clean --configuration Release
# Force clean (delete bin/obj manually)
rm -rf **/bin **/obj
Common Build Issues
Framework Mismatch
<!-- Ensure consistent framework across projects -->
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
Missing SDK
# Check installed SDKs
dotnet --list-sdks
# Install specific version via global.json
{
"sdk": {
"version": "8.0.100"
}
}
Locked Files
# Kill processes holding files (Windows)
taskkill /F /IM dotnet.exe
# Kill processes (Linux/Mac)
pkill dotnet
See common-errors.md for detailed error resolutions.
