What should I target? Can VS 2005 CLI DLLs be used by 2003?

[Bruce]

I have started my first major DotNet project. It is a DLL that I would
to sell and distribute. I need to know if I should write it in VS2005
C++ CLI or VS2003.

Can VS2005 CLI compiled DLLs be used in VS2003?

If not:

Have most people moved to 2003? Would be be better to target 2005?

 

[Bruno van Dooren [MVP VC++]]

I have started my first major DotNet project. It is a DLL that I would to

sell and distribute. I need to know if I should write it in VS2005 C++ CLI
or VS2003.

Can VS2005 CLI compiled DLLs be used in VS2003?
No.

If not:

Have most people moved to 2003? Would be be better to target 2005?

I have moved to VS2005. Managed C++ as it existed in VS2003 is obsolete.

VS2005 compiles for .NET2.0. however, .NET3.0 is .NET2.0 with addons.
This means that anything you develop now can also run on .NET3.0.

C++/CLI is now the standard, so you can easily port it to newer versions of
VC++.

plus, The next version of VC can also compile for .NET2.0, instead of only
3.x.
This means that if you invest in VC2005 and .NET2.0 now, you are guaranteed
forward compatibility for source code and binaries, which is nice.
It will also allow you to target Vista without problems.

--

Kind regards,
Bruno van Dooren
(e-mail address removed)
Remove only "_nos_pam"

 

[Bruce]

Bruno van Dooren [MVP VC++] wrote:
Have most people moved to 2003? Would be be better to target 2005?

I have moved to VS2005. Managed C++ as it existed in VS2003 is obsolete.

VS2005 compiles for .NET2.0. however, .NET3.0 is .NET2.0 with addons.
This means that anything you develop now can also run on .NET3.0.

C++/CLI is now the standard, so you can easily port it to newer versions of
VC++.

plus, The next version of VC can also compile for .NET2.0, instead of only
3.x.
This means that if you invest in VC2005 and .NET2.0 now, you are guaranteed
forward compatibility for source code and binaries, which is nice.
It will also allow you to target Vista without problems.

Thanks Bruno.

I guess I will go for 2005. I have an ActiveX version too so I guess
2003 users can use that if they do not want to upgrade.


Bruce