Install G#
G# projects build with the normal .NET tools. The recommended path is to use the MSBuild SDK and project template, both published on NuGet; compiler developers can also build gsc from source.
The published packages are Gsharp.NET.Sdk (the MSBuild SDK) and Gsharp.Templates (the dotnet new templates). They resolve from the public NuGet feed, so no extra feed configuration is required.
Prerequisites
Install a .NET runtime and SDK that can run the G# compiler and build SDK-style projects. The bundled compiler currently runs as a net10.0 tool, and emitted executable runtime configs default to net10.0 unless you pass /targetframework or /tfm. The compiler's runtime mapping also recognizes net8.0 and net9.0.
For SDK projects, Gsharp.NET.Sdk handles .gs files during dotnet build. The SDK usage tests cover net8.0 and net10.0, and the compiler can emit for net8.0, net9.0, or net10.0 when the matching reference assemblies are supplied by the project build.
Verify your .NET installation with:
dotnet --info
Start with the project template
The fastest path is the Gsharp.Templates package. It scaffolds a console app that uses Gsharp.NET.Sdk and can be built and run like any other .NET project.
dotnet new install Gsharp.Templates
dotnet new gsharp-console -n MyApp
cd MyApp && dotnet build && dotnet run
# -> Hello from GSharp!
The generated project includes a .gsproj, a starter Program.gs, a NuGet.config that enables optional local SDK side-loading, and a README.
Author a project by hand
A minimal project file looks like this:
<Project Sdk="Gsharp.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
<RootNamespace>HelloWorld</RootNamespace>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
The SDK automatically includes .gs files in the project directory, forwards references and build settings to gsc, and supports regular commands such as:
dotnet build
dotnet run
If you are developing the SDK itself and want to side-load a locally packed build, copy the package into the project's configured package source before building:
mkdir -p packages
cp /path/to/Gsharp.NET.Sdk.VERSION.nupkg packages/
dotnet build
See SDK projects for the full project-system walkthrough.
Install the VS Code extension
The G# VS Code extension is published on the Visual Studio Marketplace. It adds syntax highlighting, language-server features, build/run commands, and debugger configuration for .gs and .gsproj files. Install it from within VS Code (search for "G#" in the Extensions view) or from the command line:
code --install-extension gsharplang.vscode-gsharp
See the VS Code extension reference for the full feature list and settings.
Build the compiler from source
From a clone of the repository, restore and build the solution:
git clone https://github.com/DavidObando/gsharp.git
cd gsharp
dotnet build GSharp.sln
After the build, run the compiler DLL with dotnet. In direct gsc mode, passing /out:path emits an assembly; omitting /out runs the interpreter compatibility path.
dotnet src/Compiler/bin/Debug/net10.0/gsc.dll samples/HelloWorld.gs
dotnet src/Compiler/bin/Debug/net10.0/gsc.dll samples/HelloWorld.gs /out:artifacts/HelloWorld.dll /target:exe /tfm:net10.0
dotnet artifacts/HelloWorld.dll
Common gsc flags include /out, /target:exe, /target:library, /tfm, /r, /noimplicitimports, /debug, /pdb, /nowarn, and /warnaserror. See the gsc reference for details.