Console App Project Structure

Console applications are the simplest way to start learning and building .NET programs. Let’s walk through the structure of a typical console app and understand how everything fits together.

What is a Console Application?

A console app runs in a terminal or command prompt. It has no GUI, making it ideal for learning programming logic, scripting tasks, and automation tools.

You can create a new console app using Visual Studio or the CLI:

// .NET CLI
dotnet new console -n HelloApp

Default Project Structure

Here’s what you’ll see in a basic console app folder:

Program.cs – The main file with your entry point (Main method)
HelloApp.csproj – The project configuration file (XML-based)
bin/ and obj/ – Build and intermediate output directories

Example: Program.cs

using System;

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

Understanding the .csproj File

This file controls build behavior, dependencies, and targets:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net7.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

You can also add NuGet packages and references here manually or via CLI.

Build and Run

In Visual Studio: Press F5 or click "Start"
In CLI:

dotnet build
dotnet run

When to Use Console Apps

Learning programming fundamentals (variables, loops, classes)
Writing utilities, scripts, or automation tools
Testing libraries or prototypes

Console applications are a perfect way to start building in .NET. They’re fast, simple, and ideal for learning. In the next lesson, you’ll learn how to use namespaces and references to organize and modularize your code better.

← Previous: Customizing Visual Studio Settings Next: Using Namespaces and References →