VS 2005 – additions are good changes are bad.

I guess that as everybody else I already install VS 2005 beta 1. I managed to create new projects and debug them as well but when I arrive to the real challenge VS 2005 failed big time. As one of the thousands that attend PDC I heard that Microsoft executive commit to guarantee compatibility to older versions of CLR from new versions, so I decide to give it a try.  I try to convert quit complicate 1.1 working project that use ASP.NET and libraries performing codeDom and Reflection functionality.

a friendly wizard accompanies me through the conversion stage that ends successfully. The warning list contain several warning about change [assembly: AssemblyKeyfile("xxx.snk")] with sighing tab of project settings. And changing obsolete Assembly .LoadWithPartialName with Assembly.Load. Great those are just warnings I thought to myself … those guys made their promises it's really compatible. With a hart full of joy I run the project and ….. BOOM I got error … not just error, an error with HRESULT message and value (compatible :-) ). Even after fix every one of those warning I still get that error. Not to mention that I hade to uncheck Tools->Option->Debugging->General the 'Enable Just My Code' checkbox to be able to debug my code.

It doesn't matter what the problem was eventually. What's count here is the fact that old code that I use to run isn’t running under new development environment. This fact, from my point of view, is huge obstacle to use VS 2005 in my enterprise ….  I encourage Microsoft to ensure that new tools will run old code. As I write in the title adding new abilities is great! (and there are a lot of new additions in VS 2005 + CLR 2.0) but if those additions come along with changes in existing code… well… I hope that someone will attend this issue …  

5 Comments

  • You have got to be joking. You started your project targetting 1.0 or 1.1 of the framework and you just *expect* it to work on a newer framework?



    Not even considering the fact that your app can run on the 1.0 or 1.1 framework side-by-side with apps that target the 1.2 framework.



    Get over backward compatibility over versions. Its been holding EVERYBODY back. Just look at the WinAPI.

  • No, I'm not joking at all! MS even state that they will preserve compatibility.... From enterprise point of view stability is a must. I'm sure that you can advance frameworks without harming existing code, actually I use to do it for time to time. Yes, it easier to change framework without keeping compatibility and it much harder to do the same while preserving compatibility....



    WinAPI and .Net is great example to my argue .Net warp WinAPI, therefore make changes in upcoming OS transparent to my code. The question is whether MS will add new Method to reflect new OS changes or just change the existing method and leaves my code to collapse...



    All the fuss around architecture and design is due to the need to create systems that could be change and adjust to changes, without rewrite several system components and without harming existing running code. Why that rule can be enforce on systems but not on frameworks and development tools?

  • I sympathize with your position but I take a slightly different view of it. The need for compatibility increases as the number of deployed systems increases. Currently there just isn't that large a number of deployed .net v1.0/1.1 apps out there. I cannot even think of any apps I've seen at the local stores that are written in .net. When this changes (and I expect it to start ramping up quite rapidly) then I want a greater emphasis placed on compatibility and less on new/improved features. Currently I am comfortable with the mix of compatiblity versus functionality.

  • David Hi,



    I'm talking from enterprise point of view.... My organizations, which occupy about 300 developers, develop the enterprise core systems using .NET. We don't have the time or the luxury to go through all those changes....

    From my point of view, I'll be happy to get VS 2005 and operate it as I use to work with 1.1. If I want to use new feature or new VS interface let me decide when I will do it.... Why MS decide in advance for me...

  • You don't HAVE to upgrade all the time, in spite of what the software companies' sales department would have you believe...!

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