C# Dev Kit is a Visual Studio Code extension made by Microsoft that adds full C# support to the editor. Without it, VS Code has no understanding of C# — with it, you get the tools you need to write, run, and debug C# programs.
What it adds#
Installing C# Dev Kit gives VS Code three things it doesn’t have by default for C#:
Intelligent autocomplete — as you type, VS Code suggests completions based on the C# language and your project’s code. It shows available methods, properties, and variables so you don’t have to remember everything.
Real-time error detection — mistakes are underlined as you type, before you run anything. A red underline means a compile error. A yellow underline means a warning. Catching these early saves a lot of time.
Solution Explorer — a panel that shows your project’s structure in terms of solutions and projects, matching how .NET organises code. It sits alongside the regular file Explorer and gives you a cleaner view of larger projects.
What it doesn’t add#
C# Dev Kit adds tooling support — it does not install C# or the .NET runtime itself. To actually compile and run C# programs, you need the .NET SDK (external link) installed on your machine separately.
Common Mistakes#
Thinking C# Dev Kit is C# C# Dev Kit is a tool that helps you write C# — it is not the language itself. The actual C# compiler and runtime come from the .NET SDK, which is a separate install. If the .NET SDK isn’t installed, C# Dev Kit will report errors and your programs won’t run, no matter how correctly you’ve written them.
Installing C# Dev Kit but not the .NET SDK
VS Code will look healthy — the extension is installed, the editor opens — but nothing will compile. If you see errors like dotnet: command not found in the terminal, the .NET SDK is missing. Install it from
dotnet.microsoft.com
(external link) and restart VS Code.
Expecting it to work immediately after install After installing C# Dev Kit, VS Code may take a minute or two to finish loading the extension and indexing your project. If autocomplete or error detection isn’t working right away, wait a moment and check the status bar at the bottom of the window for any loading indicators before assuming something is wrong.