VB.NET, developed by Microsoft, is an object-oriented programming language that is implemented on the .NET Framework. It is particularly well-suited for developing Windows applications and is a great choice for developers who are familiar with Visual Basic. In this article, we will explore how to create a simple VB.NET application and execute it via the Command Prompt (CMD) in a Windows environment.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following installed on your Windows machine:

1. Visual Studio: This is the integrated development environment (IDE) used to develop VB.NET applications. You can download the Community edition for free from the official Visual Studio website.
2. .NET Framework: Ensure that the .NET Framework is installed. Most modern Windows systems have it pre-installed, but you can download it from the Microsoft website if needed.

Creating a VB.NET Application

1. Open Visual Studio: Launch Visual Studio from the Start menu.

2. Create a New Project:

   • Click on "Create a new project".
   • Select "Console App" and ensure the language is set to "Visual Basic".
   • Click "Next", name your project (e.g., "HelloWorld"), choose a location, and click "Create".

3. Write Your Code:

   • Once the project is created, you will see a file named Module1.vb with a Sub Main() method. This is the entry point of your application.

   • Replace the contents of Sub Main() with the following code:

     Module Module1
      Sub Main()
          Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!")
          Console.ReadLine() ' Wait for user input before closing
      End Sub
     End Module

4. Build the Application:

   • Click on "Build" in the menu bar and select "Build Solution". This compiles your application and creates an executable file.

Executing the VB.NET Application via CMD

1. Locate the Executable:

   • After building the solution, navigate to the bin\Debug\net5.0 (or similar, depending on your .NET version) directory within your project folder. You will find an executable file named HelloWorld.exe.

2. Open Command Prompt:

   • Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

3. Navigate to the Directory:

   • Use the cd command to change the directory to where your executable is located. For example:

     cd C:\Path\To\Your\Project\bin\Debug\net5.0

4. Run the Application:

   • Type the name of the executable and press Enter:

     HelloWorld.exe

   • You should see "Hello, World!" printed in the Command Prompt window.

Conclusion

Creating and executing a VB.NET application on Windows is straightforward with the help of Visual Studio. This guide provided a simple example to get you started. VB.NET is a powerful language for Windows application development, and mastering it can open up numerous opportunities in software development.