How to compile a .fs file into a .exe?

Question

I do not find a way to compile a simple file (.fs) to a .exe. I tried this example and it does not work:

1. In the file dolphin.fs:

   let longBeaked = "Delphinus capensis"
   let shortBeaked = "Delphinus delphis"
   let dolphins = [ longBeaked; shortBeaked ]
   printfn "Known Dolphins: %A" dolphins
   

2. You can now compile this code to an EXE as shown here:

   C:\fsharp> fsc dolphins.fs
   C:\fsharp> dir dolphins.exe
   

But when I do this an error occurs on the ":" from "C:\fsharp"

Answer 1

This seems a bit wrong - aside from the fact that you're not supposed to type the first bit (as explained by svick), you probably also need to specify the full path to the F# compiler. If you're using F# that comes with Visual Studio 2010, then you need:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft F#\v4.0\Fsc.exe" dolphins.fs

If you're using standalone installation of F#, then you'll need to locate the F# compiler somewhere else (probably in "Program Files (x86)\FSharp-2.0.0.0", but I'm not exactly sure). Also, I'm not sure what is the dir command supposed to do. To execute the compiled application (once it is compiled), you can just type:

doplhins.exe

Answer 2

You're not supposed to type the whole line. The C:\fsharp> part represents the command line prompt. You should just type fsc dolhins.fs and then dir dolphins.exe.

Answer 3

The error messages sound like you're typing command-prompt commands into F# interactive.

Try opening the "Visual Studio Command Prompt" from your start menu, changing to the right directory, and typing your commands there.

Alternately, create a new F# Application project in Visual Studio, add your .fs file to the project, and build it.