Building from the Command Line (Visual Basic)

A Visual Basic project is made up of one or more separate source files. During the process known as compilation, these files are brought together into one package—a single executable file that can be run as an application.

Visual Basic provides a command-line compiler as an alternative to compiling programs from within the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE). The command-line compiler is designed for situations in which you do not require the full set of features in the IDE—for example, when you are using or writing for computers with limited system memory or storage space.

When compiling from the command line, you must explicitly reference the Microsoft Visual Basic run-time library through the /reference compiler option.

To compile source files from within the Visual Studio IDE, choose the Build command from the Build menu.

You can compile project (.vbproj) files at a command prompt by using MSBuild. For more information, see MSBuild Command Line Reference and Walkthrough: Using MSBuild.

In This Section

• How to: Invoke the Command-Line Compiler (Visual Basic)
  Describes how to invoke the command-line compiler at the MS-DOS prompt or from a specific subdirectory.

• Sample Compilation Command Lines (Visual Basic)
  Provides a list of sample command lines that you can modify for your own use.

Related Sections

• Visual Basic Command-Line Compiler
  Provides lists of compiler options, organized alphabetically or by purpose.

• Conditional Compilation in Visual Basic
  Describes how to compile particular sections of code.

• How to: Prepare and Manage Builds
  Describes how to organize what will be included in different builds, choose project properties, and ensure that projects build in the correct order.