How to change the output directory for the build artifacts from the default bin directory in dotnet project

It is possible to change the output directory for the build artifacts in a .NET project from the default bin directory to a different location. You can achieve this by modifying the project file (.csproj).

To change the output directory, you can set the OutputPath property in your project file. Here’s how you can do it:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Your Project File: Open the .csproj file of your project.

2. Modify the OutputPath: Add or modify the OutputPath property within a PropertyGroup. This can be set for different build configurations (Debug, Release, etc.) if needed.

Example:

To set the output directory to custom_bin instead of bin, add the following to your .csproj file:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputPath>custom_bin\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Setting Different Paths for Different Configurations

If you want to set different output paths for Debug and Release configurations, you can specify them separately:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|AnyCPU'">
    <OutputPath>custom_bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|AnyCPU'">
    <OutputPath>custom_bin\Release\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

Running the Build

After modifying the .csproj file, you can build your project, and the output will be placed in the specified directory:

dotnet build

Summary

By setting the OutputPath property in your project file, you can change the default output directory from bin to a location of your choice. This customization helps you organize build artifacts according to your project requirements.

Here’s a complete example for a project file that sets a custom output directory for both Debug and Release configurations:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|AnyCPU'">
    <OutputPath>custom_bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|AnyCPU'">
    <OutputPath>custom_bin\Release\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

</Project>

With this setup, running dotnet build will place the build artifacts in the specified custom_bin directories instead of the default bin directory.