Get started
with Kobo.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Get the .NET SDK.

Kobo targets .NET 11. Install the .NET 11 SDK, then verify it is available from your terminal:

dotnet --list-sdks

Confirm that an 11.0 SDK is listed. Kobo is in preview, so the install commands below use prerelease packages.

STANDALONE APP

Build your first program.

Install the command-line compiler as a global .NET tool. This is the recommended way to download Kobo and get started with a standalone project:

dotnet tool install --global thinkmine.kobo.lang --prerelease

Create a file named hello.kobo:

import System

module Examples/Hello

[public] class:Program
{
    [public, static] function:void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello, world!")
    }
}

Compile it, then run the generated .NET assembly:

kobo build hello.kobo --output-directory ./build --name Hello
dotnet ./build/Hello.dll

The output includes Hello.dll and Hello.runtimeconfig.json. Keep both files to run the standalone app.

EXISTING C# PROJECT

Bring Kobo into your build.

Use BuildTools when you want Kobo and C# files in the same SDK-style project. The package discovers .kobo files automatically; no separate compile step is needed.

dotnet add package thinkmine.kobo.lang.buildtools --prerelease

Add Greeting.kobo to the project:

module Example/Greetings

[public] class:Greeting
{
    [public] function:string For(string name)
    {
        return $"Hello, {name}, from Kobo!"
    }
}

Call the Kobo-defined type from your existing C# code as usual:

using Example.Greetings;

var greeting = new Greeting();
Console.WriteLine(greeting.For("Ada"));

Now use dotnet build and dotnet run. Your project keeps control of dependencies, configuration, and the output assembly.

ONE FILE, ONE UTILITY

Keep a script self-contained.

The CLI can also compile a single Kobo file as a standalone app, without a project file. Add optional SDK, build-property, or NuGet package directives at the top:

#:sdk Microsoft.NET.Sdk
#:property Nullable=enable

import System

[public] class:Program
{
    [public, static] function:void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var name = args.Length > 0 ? args[0] : "world"
        Console.WriteLine($"Hello, {name}!")
    }
}

kobo build greet.kobo --output-directory ./build --name Greet
dotnet ./build/Greet.dll Ada

Add NuGet dependencies with #:package Package.Name@version. These directives apply to standalone single-file apps, not BuildTools or multi-file builds.

KEEP EXPLORING

Find your next step.