Run F# script in Visual Studio

I've been looking into running some F# scripts to automate some things. But I can't seem to be able to find a way to run the scripts. I've to an F# file.

Test.fsx

let helloWolrd = "Hello World"

printfn $"{helloWolrd}"

I know I can run it by selecting and running it with Alt+Enter but this just seems unpractical. How can I run an entire F# file in Visual Studio? Not by selecting the part I want to run.

As you noted you can send individual snippets of F# files to F# Interactive by highlighting the lines you wish to send using Alt + Enter keyboard combination in Visual Studio. The same works with VS Code.

You can run entire scripts using dotnet fsi script.fsx from the command line. This works from Developer PowerShell within VS or other CLIs.

I wanted to do the same thing, in order to write publish scripts of general utilities i use in my projects.

I wanted to right click on the script and get VS to execute it.

so go to
Tools -> External tools

"Add"

I did (obviously without the quotes)

Title <- "FSI"

Command <- "cmd.exe"

Arguments <- "/c dotnet.exe fsi $(ItemPath)"

Initial directory <- "$(ItemDir)"

Use Output window <- Yes

Now I can right click on the item and run it.

(strangely I think ive done something like this before and it was much more complex...but this seems much easier - maybe MS has made it simpler)