Using C# 6 features with CodeDomProvider (Roslyn)

Question

CodeDomProvider objCodeCompiler = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider( "CSharp" );

CompilerParameters objCompilerParameters = new CompilerParameters();

...

CompilerResults objCompileResults = objCodeCompiler.CompileAssemblyFromFile( objCompilerParameters, files.ToArray() );

When I compile my files I get:

FileFunctions.cs(347): Error: Unexpected character '$'

Does anyone know how to get string interpolation working with CodeDom compiling?

I found this link: How to target .net 4.5 with CSharpCodeProvider?

So I tried:

     var providerOptions = new Dictionary<string, string>();
     providerOptions.Add( "CompilerVersion", "v4.0" );

     // Instantiate the compiler.
     CodeDomProvider objCodeCompiler = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider( "CSharp", providerOptions );

But I still get the same error.

I also updated the target framework to .NET Framework 4.6.

NOTE: I can't specify "v4.5" or "v4.6" or I will get:

************** Exception Text **************
System.InvalidOperationException: Compiler executable file csc.exe cannot be found.
   at System.CodeDom.Compiler.RedistVersionInfo.GetCompilerPath(IDictionary`2 provOptions, String compilerExecutable)
   at Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeGenerator.FromFileBatch(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeGenerator.System.CodeDom.Compiler.ICodeCompiler.CompileAssemblyFromFileBatch(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at System.CodeDom.Compiler.CodeDomProvider.CompileAssemblyFromFile(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at Dynamic.CodeDOMCompiler.CompileAllCodeFiles() in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\Core\CodeDOMCompiler.cs:line 93
   at NewForm.InitializeSystem() in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\NewForm.cs:line 179
   at NewForm.NewForm_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\NewForm.cs:line 111
   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)

I have tried using the suggestion by Thomas Levesque:

CodeDomProvider objCodeCompiler = new Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.CSharpCodeProvider();

But then I get:

************** Exception Text **************
System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\bin\x86\Debug\bin\roslyn\csc.exe'.
   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
   at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost)
   at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share)
   at Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.Compiler.get_CompilerName()
   at Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.Compiler.FromFileBatch(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.Compiler.CompileAssemblyFromFileBatch(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at System.CodeDom.Compiler.CodeDomProvider.CompileAssemblyFromFile(CompilerParameters options, String[] fileNames)
   at Dynamic.CodeDOMCompiler.CompileAllCodeFiles() in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\Core\CodeDOMCompiler.cs:line 87
   at NewForm.InitializeSystem() in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\NewForm.cs:line 179
   at NewForm.NewForm_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\NewForm.cs:line 111
   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnLoad(EventArgs e)

I'm not sure why it is trying to look for "csc.exe" in a subfolder of my bin directory.

This path exists:

C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\bin\x86\Debug\roslyn

But it was looking for:

C:\Users\Derek.Morin\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\ScriptCode\ScriptCode.ConvertedToC#\bin\x86\Debug\bin\roslyn\csc.exe

Nicolanicolai

What .NET Framework version your project is target? – Tope

I updated my question with the details ".NET Framework 4.6". I should point out that the same code compiles just fine in Visual Studio, but it is when I try to compile it using CodeDom that the problem occurs. – Nicolanicolai

This feature depends on the C# language version, not the .NET Framework version. – Maypole

Not sure why this question was downvoted. It's a legitimate question, and the answer isn't obvious. – Symer

By copying the "roslyn" folder to the spot where it expected it - I was able to get this working. It seems like a hack though. I don't know if it is a bug in where the files are copied to, or a bug in where it is looking for the compiler. – Nicolanicolai

Also, see Aaron's Hudson's answer for more information on the bug with the file locations. – Nicolanicolai

Answer 1

The built-in CodeDOM provider doesn't support C# 6. Use this one instead:

https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform/

It's based on Roslyn and supports the C# 6 features.

Just change this line:

CodeDomProvider objCodeCompiler = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider( "CSharp" );

to this:

CodeDomProvider objCodeCompiler = new Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.CSharpCodeProvider();

Symer

"The built-in CodeDOM provider doesn't support C# 6": can you provide sources of that information for further consideration? Seems strange for me that CSharpCodeProvider don't use new compiler with 6 /langversion – Tope

By copying the "roslyn" folder to the spot where it expected it - I was able to get this working. It seems like a hack though. I don't know if it is a bug in where the files are copied to, or a bug in where it is looking for the compiler. – Nicolanicolai

@LeonidVasilyev, I saw this recently, but I can't remember where... sorry. – Symer

@Derek, why "copy the roslyn folder"? Can't you just add the package via NuGet? – Symer

I did add the package via NuGet. But when running it seemed to be looking for csc.exe in the wrong location. If you see the two paths mentioned above you can see the difference. So I just copied the whole rosyln folder to the spot it seemed to be looking ( as a workaround ). – Nicolanicolai

Answer 2

Update: March 2018

Word of caution, NuGet version 1.0.6 ... 1.0.8 will not copy the /roslyn folder to the build output directory on non-web projects. Best stick with 1.0.5 https://github.com/aspnet/RoslynCodeDomProvider/issues/38

Run-time compilation using C#6 features requires a new compiler, as @thomas-levesque mentioned. This compiler can be installed by using the nuget package Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.

For desktop applications, there's a problem. The ASP.NET team, in their infinite wisdom have hard-coded the path to the compiler as <runtime-directory>\bin\roslyn\csc.exe See discussion at https://github.com/dotnet/roslyn/issues/9483

If your desktop application is compiled to \myapp\app.exe, the roslyn compiler will be located at \myapp\roslyn\csc.exe, BUT THE CSharpCodeProvider WILL RESOLVE csc.exe as \myapp\bin\roslyn\csc.exe

As far as I can tell, you have two options

1. Create a post-build and/or installation routine that will move the \roslyn subdirectory to \bin\roslyn.
2. Fix the runtime code through reflection black magic.

Here is #2, by exposing the CSharpCodeProvider as a property in a utility class.

using System.Reflection;
using Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform;

static Lazy<CSharpCodeProvider> CodeProvider { get; } = new Lazy<CSharpCodeProvider>(() => {
    var csc = new CSharpCodeProvider();
    var settings = csc
        .GetType()
        .GetField("_compilerSettings", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic)
        .GetValue(csc);

    var path = settings
        .GetType()
        .GetField("_compilerFullPath", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

    path.SetValue(settings, ((string)path.GetValue(settings)).Replace(@"bin\roslyn\", @"roslyn\"));

    return csc;
});

Spoonbill

Thank you very much! This fixed my problem :) – Pruett

When using this hack, remember to use version 1.0.5 or previous of NuGet package Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform. – Homecoming

Why, have they fixed something ? – Spoonbill

@Mustafa why should we use version 1.0.5 and less? – Pivoting

It is something about the location of csc.exe file when building. They have changed this after 1.0.5. – Homecoming

word of caution, nuget version 1.0.6 ... 1.0.8 (as of March 16'18) will not copy the /roslyn folder to the build output directory on non-web projects – Spoonbill

"infinite wisdom" part was actually funny. Good to know that issue was fixed some time ago. – Savick

Answer 3

Faced the same issue of the completely broken compiler and found a third solution in addition to those listed in the Aaron's answer, by looking at the decompiled source of the library I found that, before setting the hardcoded path {ProgramLocation}\bin\roslyn it searches for an environment variable (also hardcoded) for that location, and if set, it uses that instead.

With that in mind, some code like this would also "fix" the problem:

//Set hardcoded environment variable to set the path to the library
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("ROSLYN_COMPILER_LOCATION", "actual compiler location goes here", EnvironmentVariableTarget.Process);
//Create compiler object
CSharpCodeProvider compiler = new CSharpCodeProvider();
//Clean up
Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("ROSLYN_COMPILER_LOCATION", null, EnvironmentVariableTarget.Process);

//Use "compiler" variable to actually compile the dynamic code

While this doesn't resorts to reflection to mess with the internals, it still relies on implementation details and abusing environment variables like this just feels wrong. I personally like this more than the reflection alternative, but at the same time I know that both relies on the exact implementation (as well as the hardcoded path).

Because of this issue, and the need to call an external program to do what should be done in-process, I still consider this library to be completely broken.

Overpowering

Thanks a lot man. Worked like a charm. This one is the only one that worked for me. Tried every other before. – Lylalyle

Answer 4

Ran into this issue recently. For context, I was trying to run an MSTest project against a library project using System.CodeDom, but it always gave a compiler that implemented C# 5 whether or not I had Microsoft.Net.Compilers or Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform packages referenced by the project under test.

My fix for this was:

• Use package Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform
• Set package PrivateAssets to contentfiles;analyzers
• Pass provider options with CompilerDirectoryPath set to the copied directory

The default value for PrivateAssets is contentfiles;analyzers;build, so getting referencing projects to also copy the folder requires removing build from the setting.

Example code:

var compiler = CodeDomProvider.CreateProvider("cs", new Dictionary<string, string> {
    { "CompilerDirectoryPath", Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "roslyn") }
});

Getting this to work with Microsoft.Net.Compilers would be slightly more tedious as no copy is made, but the end step of pointing CompilerDirectoryPath at the package's tools folder is the same.

Feinleib

This is the only solution on this page at the time of writing that worked for me. Simple and does not require assumptions – Bounder

Answer 5

Updated information: even after releasing FW 4.8 you still not able to use all new features of C# 8.0 - distro contains CSC, limited to version 5.0; But there is hack to use CSC, distributed with VS2019 (yes, you have to install it):

var csprovider = new CSharpCodeProvider(new Dictionary<string,string> {
    ["CompilerDirectoryPath"] = @"c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\Roslyn",
});
options += " -langversion:8.0 ";

var par = new CompilerParameters { GenerateInMemory = true, CompilerOptions = options };
par.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("Microsoft.CSharp.dll");
par.ReferencedAssemblies.Add("System.Core.dll");

var res = csprovider.CompileAssemblyFromSource(par, "your C# code");

return res.CompiledAssembly;// <- compiled result

BTW despite explicit option 'GenerateInMemory', your code anyway will be written to the file and only then will be compiled. Keep in mind if you want your application run w/o disk access.

Didache

Upvote. Nice one @Vincent, this gave me the clue I needed. Note that the path to Roslyn depends on your edition of VS... @"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019**Enterprise**\MSBuild\Current\Bin\Roslyn"; – Dismissal

You've saved me tons of time, thanks man, I thought I would never get through :) – Overstretch

Answer 6

As of Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform v.3.6.0.0, the following works:

string RoslynPath = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location) + "\\roslyn\\csc.exe";
CSharpCodeProvider Provider = new CSharpCodeProvider(new ProviderOptions(RoslynPath, 0));

Drewdrewett