Sample Compilation Command Lines
As an alternative to compiling Visual Basic programs from within Visual Studio, you can compile from the command line to produce executable (.exe) files or dynamic-link library (.dll) files.
The Visual Basic command-line compiler supports a complete set of options that control input and output files, assemblies, and debug and preprocessor options. Each option is available in two interchangeable forms: -option and **/**option. This documentation shows only the **/**option form.
The following table lists some sample command lines you can modify for your own use.
| To | Use |
|---|---|
Compile File.vb and create File.exe |
vbc /reference:Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll File.vb |
Compile File.vb and create File.dll |
vbc /target:library File.vb |
Compile File.vb and create My.exe |
vbc /out:My.exe File.vb |
Compile all Visual Basic files in the current directory, with optimizations on and the DEBUG symbol defined, producing File2.exe |
vbc /define:DEBUG=1 /optimize /out:File2.exe *.vb |
Compile all Visual Basic files in the current directory, producing a debug version of File2.dll without displaying the logo or warnings |
vbc /target:library /out:File2.dll /nowarn /nologo /debug *.vb |
Compile all Visual Basic files in the current directory to Something.dll |
vbc /target:library /out:Something.dll *.vb |
When compiling from the command line, you must explicitly reference the Microsoft Visual Basic run-time library through the /reference compiler option.
See Also
Concepts
Conditional Compilation Overview