dotnet-tool
.NET CLI tool package manager
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
dotnet tool command [options]
DESCRIPTION
dotnet tool manages .NET CLI tools, which are NuGet packages containing console applications. Tools can be installed globally (user-wide) or locally (project-specific).
Global tools are available from any directory and installed in a user-specific location. Local tools are specified in a manifest file (dotnet-tools.json) and installed per-project.
Popular tools include dotnet-ef (Entity Framework), dotnet-format (code formatting), and various analyzers and generators.
PARAMETERS
COMMAND
Operation: install, list, update, uninstall, restore.install PACKAGE
Install tool package.list
List installed tools.update PACKAGE
Update tool to latest version.uninstall PACKAGE
Remove tool.restore
Restore local tools from manifest.-g, --global
Global installation (user-wide).--tool-path PATH
Custom installation directory.--help
Display help information.
CONFIGURATION
dotnet-tools.json
Manifest file specifying local tool dependencies and versions for the project.
CAVEATS
Global tools may have version conflicts. Local tools require manifest restoration. Tool versions should match project requirements. PATH configuration needed for global tools.
HISTORY
dotnet tool was introduced in .NET Core 2.1 (2018) to provide extensibility through NuGet-distributed CLI tools, enabling ecosystem growth beyond the built-in commands.
