How can I add the VS Command Prompt to Visual Studio 2010 C# Express?

Question

When I install "real" editions, the command prompt exists as a tool, but not in the express edition?

How can I open the special command prompt, and have easier access to the various command-line tools that ship with Visual Studio and the .NET framework?

See Also

• Add Command prompt in VS 2008 Express Edition manually - missing some essential steps, and never completely answered; also, 2008 specific
• Visual Studio Command Prompt vs. Regular Command Prompt?

Answer 1

The VS command prompt is not a standaloneshell, but the standard cmd.exe with some EnvironmentVariables setup — through vcvarsall.bat

Charmingly, vcvarsall.bat only ships with the c++ edition, and resides in the Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC folder.

So if you haven’t installed VS c++ Express — and you want to access the shell, you probably have to install VS c++ Express; that’s what I did, anyway.

1. Select Tools >> External Tools in Visual Studio.
2. Click Add
3. Fill in the Title - I used Visual Studio Command &Prompt (C is already assigned to Customize)
4. Command: cmd.exe (should already be on your PATH)
5. Arguments: /k "\path\to\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat"
6. Pick an Initial directory. I used $(ProjectDir)
7. Click OK

I have these notes @ http://www.xradiograph.com/Programming/VisualStudioExpress which were in turn adapted from http://visualbasic.about.com/b/2010/08/17/the-visual-studio-command-prompt.htm and other sources