views:

2039

answers:

8
+14  Q: 

C# Console?

+12  A: 

Given your mention of "C#'s reflection power", I am unsure whether you're looking for an interactive C# console for small code snippets of your own (à la Ruby's irb), or a means of interacting with an existing, compiled application currently running as a process.

In the former case:

  • Windows PowerShell might be your friend
  • Another candidate would be the C# shell
  • Finally, CSI, a Simple C# Interpreter
Sören Kuklau
+1  A: 

Google reveals a few efforts at this. One in particular illustrates why this is less straightforward than it might seem. http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/csi.aspx has a basic interpreter using .NET's built in ability to compile c# code. A key problem is that the author's approach creates a new mini .NET assembly for each interpreted line. C# may have the reflective power to have a python or ruby style console, but the .NET framework libraries are geared toward compiling C#, not dynamically interpreting it. If you are serious about this, you may want to look at http://www.paxscript.net/, which seems like a genuine attempt at interpreted C#.

LJ
+5  A: 

I am not sure what you are looking for this application to accomplish. If it is just to try some code without having to create a project and all the overhead to just test an idea, then SnippetCompiler could be a good fit.

I just wanted to give you another option.

Dale Ragan
Not as quick and easy as script interpreters, but by far the most useful that I've tried. Nice to be able to easily add a bunch of references to my libraries. Thanks Dale!
Jason
+7  A: 

Found this on reddit: http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2008/Sep-08.html

Quote from the site:

The idea was simple: create an interactive C# shell by altering the compiler to generate and execute code dynamically as opposed to merely generating static code.

Daren Thomas
+2  A: 

It appears Miguel De Icaza was stalking me:

http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2008/Sep-08.html

FlySwat
+1  A: 

If you don't have to use the console, and just want a place to test some ad hoc C# snippets, then LinqPad is a good option. I find it very cool/easy to use.

AR
A: 

I would like a copy of the source code! Can you publish it? Thanks

+1  A: 
aleemb