I am at the start of my end year project, and i have decided that my front end would be in VB .NET 2003/2005 (havent decided the versions yet). Couldent really decide on the versions because i still havent worked on 2005 so i wouldent know. But if anyone can point out the positive and negative points, it could save me some search energy

Anyways, back to topic. I was wondering if the application i make in VB .NET would be compatible with Windows Vista ? The reason i am asking this is because if normal programming would make my program compatible with Vista then i can add it in my synopsis or project overview. Just kinda adds up to a level of sucking up but if i can some how manage to get my current s/w working in Windows XP AND Vista, then i guess i get a point for compatibility and that would help a lot in the grading.

If it would however not be compatible with Vista by default programming, then what exactly do i need to do ? Is there an add-on that is used in VB .NET 2005/2003, or are there specific lines of code i need to add ?

Regards
Dhanesh.

If you want to develop applications that are compatible with Windows Vista and Windows XP, you've got 2 Options.

The First one is to get the Software Development Kit for Windows Vista™,

The SDk for Windows Vista includes the .NET 3 Framework and the various api's needed. You also get a few samples with this download. Get and read more about this here

The Second solution is to get Visual Studio Orcas, this is the next version of Visual Studio after VS 2005. Currently Visual Studio Orcas is in beta testing. This software has native support for Windows Vista interface and is also compatible with Windows XP. Get and read more about this here

The Softwares created with both the solutions will support Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista.

Thankx dude, and nice blog Checked the links out but the thing that troubles me is this: \"This SDK is designed for use with Windows Vista (which includes Framework 3.0)\" . Well my development platform is Windows XP so would i have any problems using orcas on my windows XP machine.

Secondly, i have to mention that i have to start my project in the next week and submission is due mid May 2007. So with the CTP of orcas i dont really know if it would be fully out by this time. So i guess i would go with the SDK. How does it work ? I mean all the sites provide technical documents and explaination on this topic, but all i wanted to know that is this an Add-on, that i just double click > install and run VB .net 2005, assuming that the new project i started will be compatible with fully compatible with Vista. I wouldent have to do anything extra or are there some lines i have to add or some settings i have to check before starting the project so that i wont have to look back on the compatibility issue, and be shure that what i do from there on will be fully compatible.

Regards
Dhanesh.

EDIT: I am confused on which version of orca should i download >>THIS<< or >>THIS<< , one is installable bits and the other one is normal. whats the difference ?

This post has been edited by dhanesh: Feb 26 2007, 06:56 AM

I just downloaded the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit for Windows Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime Components package and these are the details of it:

File Name: 6.0.6000.0.0.WindowsSDK_Vista_rtm.DVD.Rel.img
Version: 6.0
Date Published: 11/4/2006
Download Size: 1187.5 MB

Hope this is the latest version of the SDK available. Please link me to a more recent version if one exists.

I am also currently downloading ORCAS, but it is this version:

Microsoft Pre-release Software Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" - January Community Technology Preview (CTP) (Installable Bits)
Version: 1.0
Date Published: 1/19/2007
Language: English
Download Size: 133.0 MB - 4333.0 MB

Is this the right one again ? Because in my earlier post i gave up 2 links:


So just making shure i have the right version, please confirm this too.

Thanks for your time and sorry for being so desperate for an answer. Its just that i have to start working on the project asap

Regards
Dhanesh.

This post has been edited by dhanesh: Feb 26 2007, 05:49 PM

Both the files you've downloaded are the latest files available for download.

Microsoft Pre-release Software Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" - January Community Technology Preview (CTP) (Installable Bits)
Version: 1.0
Date Published: 1/19/2007
Language: English
Download Size: 133.0 MB - 4333.0 MB

This is a installable version, whereas the other is an Virtual PC image. You can use the image version by just loading the downloaded image file using the Virual PC 2004, you can get it here or the Virtual PC 2007, you can get it here.

The best feature of the Virtual PC image is that it requires no installation. So you can test it without harming your system files.

If you need help for programming using the .NET 3.0 visit the Microsoft .NET 3 Official user community forum to get help there,

Thanks for your prompt reply livingston. I am downloading the versions as we speak but my inquisitiveness is on why are there 2 files of the same name with different file sizes. Probably one could be old and other new, but both are released on the same day


Regards
Dhanesh.

I believe all applications created with the .NET framework 2.0 should be compatible with Vista. .NET 3.0 is apparently (from the MSDN site) the same as 2.0, except with added features. Unless your product uses specific XP things, I believe it should be compatible (don't quote me on this, though). I wouldn't imagine that Windows would have changed their *cough*bad*cough* code that you need to interact with it.

.NET 3.0 is backward compatible with all previous versions of .NET. Just as you can run a version 1.1 application on 2.0, you can also run a 2.0 application on 3.0. As stated earlier, 3.0 is mostly a rebuilt 2.0 with Vista features.

To put your mind at ease, I have successfully deployed one of my larger 2.0 VB.NET applications on Vista. This particular application has a good range API so I would have to say you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

I agree, users have been comming up with message such as "This is the only Yahoo! Bot, that runs on Vista" as feedbacks for my product which is built using VS 2005. Curious as they are, they've started inquiring if it would work on Linux. I believe, there are/is 3rd party .NET framework(s) for Linux?

.Net v1.1 app is not 100 compatible on .Net v2.0. There's minor API changes on 2.0 which will break a 1.1 app.

Where as 2.0 and 3.0 is 100% compatible, as mentioned in microsoft's website. 3.0 only introduce new API's into 2.0, but didn't change any of the base API.

EDIT:


On linux you can use mono. The latest v1.2 support most of .Net 1.1's API. If you app doesn't depend on windows' specific API, then you can run it directly under linux.

Support for .Net 2.0 and 3.0 is on the works.


This post has been edited by faulty.lee: Mar 1 2007, 11:45 AM