Check installed .NET runtime version from C#

Question

Hello,

what is the best way how to check all installed .NET runtime versions from C# code?

Is there some registry key I could read? e.g. SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x86\hostfxr

Or do I need to call "dotnet --list-runtimes" via System.Diagnostics.Process.Start().

Thank You For Answer.

Jan

Answer 1

"dotnet --list-runtimes" just enumerates subfolders from "C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared"

with FindFirstFileEx and so on

Answer 2

I'd use dotnet --list-runtimes like this:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Linq;
public static class DotNetHelper
{
    public static List<string> ListRuntimes()
    {
        var dotnet = Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo("dotnet", "--list-runtimes")
        {
            CreateNoWindow = true,
            UseShellExecute = false,
            RedirectStandardError = true,
            RedirectStandardOutput = true,
        });
        dotnet.WaitForExit();
        string result = dotnet.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd().TrimEnd();
        string errors = dotnet.StandardError.ReadToEnd().TrimEnd();

        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(errors))
            throw new Exception(errors);
        return result.Split(new string[] { Environment.NewLine },
            StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries).ToList();
    }
}

The one with checking the directory works as well, but I assume it's more implementation details; and relying on the CLI makes more sense IMO.