Does VB2005 work on .NET Framework 3.0?

The .NET 3.0 installer includes .NET 2.0 installer (that's why it has ~ 50 megabytes). If you have a very small version of it (something like 2 megabytes or less) it will download the rest from the Microsoft download site.

"Do I have to give him .NET 2.0 or .NET 3.0? which one is recommended?"

You don't need .NET 3.0 if you did not use any of its features but it's nothing wrong if you install it.

MikeDanes at 2007-9-4 >

The 3.0 version is a bit strange because it uses the 2.0 version. Basically 3.0 only adds some new assemblies. All the rest (runtime, compilers, all assemblies you know in 2.0) are still the ones from .NET 2.0. For this reason using .NET 3.0 in VB 2005 means to add references to the new assemblies provided with 3.0 and write code to use them.

In addition there are 2 things that can be installed to extend VB 2005 (except if you use the Express Edition):

1) Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for .NET Framework 3.0 (Windows Workflow Foundation) - a designer for .NET 3.0 workflows

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5D61409E-1FA3-48CF-8023-E8F38E709BA6&displaylang=en

2) Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for .NET Framework 3.0 (WCF & WPF), November 2006 CTP - a designer for WPF (XAML) and some tools to work with WCF

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F54F5537-CC86-4BF5-AE44-F5A1E805680D&displaylang=en

Note that this one is just a CTP and its functionality is limited. Complete support for WPF & WCF is targeted for the next version of Visual Studio codenamed Orcas.

For more info about .NET 3.0 and its new technologies see

http://www.netfx3.com/

MikeDanes at 2007-9-4 >

This is about the Windows SDK:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c2b1e300-f358-4523-b479-f53d234cdccf&DisplayLang=en

It's a large download but it contains the help and samples for .NET 3.0 classes. You can try the "Web Install" version (see down on that page) and choose only what you need to get a smaller download if the download size is an issue.

I'd avoit installing that extension without it, at least for me at messed the VS existing help a bit.

MikeDanes at 2007-9-4 >

I already explained that .NET 3.0 uses the same runtime and compilers as .NET 2.0. So it cannot be any faster than 2.0. .NET 3.0 just adds some new technologies:

WPF - Windows Presentation Foundation (can be used to develop rich graphical interfaces)

WCF - Windows Communication Foundation

WF - Windows Workflow Foundation

WCS - Windows Card Space

I cannot say much about last 3 because I haven't used them much. See the www.netfx3.com I told you in a previous post.

MikeDanes at 2007-9-4 >