Run with:
dnx vs -- [command] [options]
To get the CI version:
dnx vs --prerelease --source https://pkg.kzu.app/index.json -- [command] [options]
A global tool for running, managing and querying Visual Studio installations
Supports switches in all the following forms: -flag, --flag, /flag,
-flag=value, --flag=value, -flag:value, --flag:value, and bare channel/SKU/workload shortcuts.
Supported commands:
Shows the list of saved aliases
Usage: dnx vs -- alias [options]
All built-in commands support a -save:[alias] option that will cause
the command to be saved with that alias. From that point on, it's possible
to just run the command (including all saved arguments) by just running
the alias instead.
Examples:
# Save the first VS enterprise with the Maui/Mobile workload as the "mobile" alias
> dnx vs -- -sku:ent -first +mobile -save:mobile
# Runs the saved alias with all the original arguments
> dnx vs -- mobile
Launches Visual Studio in client mode
Usage: dnx vs -- client [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | Run stable version |
insiders | Run insiders version |
int|internal | Run internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
exp|experimental | Run experimental instance instead of regular. |
first | Run first matching instance. |
w|workspaceId | The workspace ID to connect to |
Opens the config folder.
Usage: dnx vs -- config [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | open stable version |
insiders | open insiders version |
int|internal | open internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
exp|experimental | open experimental instance instead of regular. |
first | open first matching instance. |
Installs a specific edition of Visual Studio.
Usage: dnx vs -- install [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | install stable version |
insiders | install insiders version |
int|internal | install internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
nick|nickname | Optional nickname to use |
v|version | Install specific (semantic) version, such as 18.7 or 18.7.3 |
add | A workload ID |
You can add specific workload IDs by using the supported workload switches
using the + prefix.
See the documentation for the Visual Studio installer command line options for the full list of arguments that can be provided.
Common options are --passive, quiet and --wait, for example.
Examples:
# Installs VS enterprise with the Maui/Mobile workload
# Note the -sku: switch/prefix is optional
> dnx vs -- install Enterprise +mobile
# Install VS community with the .NET Core, ASP.NET and Azure workloads, # shows installation progress and waits for it to finish before returning
> dnx vs -- install +core +web +azure
# Install VS 18 Enterprise
> dnx vs -- install -v:18 -sku:ent
# Install the latest VS 17 (2022) Community
> dnx vs -- install --version 17
Kills running devenv processes.
Usage: dnx vs -- kill [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | kill stable version |
insiders | kill insiders version |
int|internal | kill internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
exp|experimental | kill experimental instance instead of regular. |
first | kill first matching instance. |
all | kill all instances. |
Examples:
# Kill all running instances of Visual Studio
> dnx vs -- kill all
Opens the folder containing the Activity.log file.
Usage: dnx vs -- log [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | open stable version |
insiders | open insiders version |
int|internal | open internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
exp|experimental | open experimental instance instead of regular. |
first | open first matching instance. |
Modifies an installation of Visual Studio.
Usage: dnx vs -- modify [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | modify stable version |
insiders | modify insiders version |
int|internal | modify internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
first | modify first matching instance. |
add | A workload ID |
remove | A workload ID |
A shorthand notation is available for add|remove [workload ID] via the supported
workload ID switches/aliases, using the + (for add) and - (for remove) prefixes.
Examples:
# Add .NET Core Workload to installed Visual Studio Preview
> dnx vs -- modify insiders +core
This is default command, so typically it does not need to be provided as an argument.
Usage: dnx vs -- run [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | run stable version |
insiders | run insiders version |
int|internal | run internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
exp|experimental | run experimental instance instead of regular. |
id | Run a specific instance by its ID |
f|first | If more than one instance matches the criteria, run the first one sorted by descending build version. |
v|version | Run specific (semantic) version, such as 18.7 or 18.7.3 |
w|wait | Wait for the started Visual Studio to exit. |
nr|nodereuse | Disable MSBuild node reuse. Useful when testing analyzers, tasks and targets. Defaults to true when running experimental instance. |
default | Set as the default version to run when no arguments are provided, or remove the current default (with --default-). |
requires | A workload ID |
All workload switches are available too to filter the
instance to run, including using the + prefix/alias syntax.
This command will remember the last VS that was located and run. So the next time you
can just run the same instance by simply using dnx vs (since run is the default command
and can be omitted).
Examples:
# Runs the first VS enterprise with the Maui/Mobile workload
> dnx vs -- -sku:ent -first +mobile
# Runs VS 18.7
> dnx vs -- -v:18.7
# Runs VS 18 Insiders
> dnx vs -- -v:18 -insiders
# Runs the last VS that was run
> dnx vs
Updates an installation of Visual Studio.
Usage: dnx vs -- update [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | Update stable version |
insiders | Update insiders version |
int|internal | Update internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
first | Update first matching instance. |
all | Update all instances. |
v|version | Update specific (semantic) version, such as 18.7 or 18.7.3 |
Examples:
# Update the installed VS 18.7 instance
> dnx vs -- update -v:18.7
# Update all matching VS 17 instances
> dnx vs -- update --version 17 --all
Locates the installed version(s) of Visual Studio that satisfy the requested requirements, optionally retrieving installation properties from it.
Usage: dnx vs -- where [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
stable | show stable version |
insiders | show insiders version |
int|internal | show internal (aka 'dogfood') version |
sku | Edition, one of e|ent|enterprise, p|pro|professional, c|com|community, b|build|buildtools or t|test|testagent |
filter | Expression to filter VS instances. E.g. x => x.InstanceId = '123' |
first | show first matching instance. |
prop|property | The name of a property to return |
list | Shows result as a list |
requires | A workload ID |
Supports same options as vswhere.exe:
-all Finds all instances even if they are incomplete and may not launch.
-prerelease Also searches prereleases. By default, only releases are searched.
-products arg One or more product IDs to find. Defaults to Community, Professional, and Enterprise.
Specify "*" by itself to search all product instances installed.
See https://aka.ms/vs/workloads for a list of product IDs.
-requires arg One or more workload or component IDs required when finding instances.
All specified IDs must be installed unless -requiresAny is specified.
See https://aka.ms/vs/workloads for a list of workload and component IDs.
-requiresAny Find instances with any one or more workload or components IDs passed to -requires.
-version arg A version range for instances to find. Example: [15.0,16.0) will find versions 15.*.
-latest Return only the newest version and last installed.
-sort Sorts the instances from newest version and last installed to oldest.
When used with "find", first instances are sorted then files are sorted lexigraphically.
-legacy Also searches Visual Studio 2015 and older products. Information is limited.
This option cannot be used with either -products or -requires.
-format arg Return information about instances found in a format described below.
-property arg The name of a property to return. Defaults to "value" format.
Use delimiters ".", "/", or "_" to separate object and property names.
Example: "properties.nickname" will return the "nickname" property under "properties".
-include arg One or more extra properties to include, as described below.
-find arg Returns matching file paths under the installation path. Defaults to "value" format.
The following patterns are supported:
? Matches any one character except "\".
* Matches zero or more characters except "\".
** Searches the current directory and subdirectories for the remaining search pattern.
-nologo Do not show logo information. Some formats noted below will not show a logo anyway.
-utf8 Use UTF-8 encoding (recommended for JSON).
-?, -h, -help Display this help message.
Extra properties:
packages Return an array of packages installed in this instance.
Supported only by the "json" and "xml" formats.
Formats:
json An array of JSON objects for each instance (no logo).
text Colon-delimited properties in separate blocks for each instance (default).
value A single property specified by the -property parameter (no logo).
xml An XML data set containing instances (no logo).
A shorthand notation is available for -requires [workload ID] via the supported
workload ID switches, using the + prefix (see below).
See also vswhere on GitHub.
For commands that receive workload ID switches (i.e. dnx vs -- where -requires [WORKLOAD_ID] or
dnx vs -- install --add [WORKLOAD_ID]), the following aliases are available:
| Alias | Workload ID |
|---|---|
mobile | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat |
xamarin | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat |
maui | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat |
core | Microsoft.NetCore.Component.DevelopmentTools |
azure | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Azure |
data | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Data |
desktop | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop |
unity | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedGame |
native | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop |
vc | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools |
web | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetWeb |
node | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Node |
office | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Office |
py | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python |
python | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python |
uwp | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal |
vsx | Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension |
The aliases are converted to the appropriate switch automatically, such as into
-requires [ID] or --add [ID]. Additionally, depending on the command being run,
the aliases might use a + prefix (like +mobile), which might make for a more
intuitive command line, such as dnx vs -- install +mobile -sku:enterprise or dnx vs -- +mobile
(runs the VS with the mobile workload installed). The modify command uses + and -
prefix to add or remove workloads respectively, for example.
See the full list of workload and component IDs.
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