Microsoft Just Broke 20+ Years of .NET Rules — You Can Now Run C# Without Project Files

Run C# Files Directly Without Project Setup

Microsoft’s .NET 10 Preview 4 introduces a feature that fundamentally changes how developers interact with C#. For the first time in .NET’s history, you can execute C# files directly using dotnet run app.cs without creating project files, scaffolding directories, or managing MSBuild configurations.

This is a paradigm shift that positions C# alongside scripting languages while maintaining enterprise-grade capabilities.

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✔️As Per the Release Notes

Until .NET 10 Preview 4, executing C# code through the dotnet CLI mandated a project structure containing a .csproj file. This requirement created friction between developers and their ideas, forcing overhead that often exceeded the actual code being written. The new file-based apps capability eliminates this barrier entirely.