.NET 3.5 é um pré-requisito razoável para um plug-in de centro de mídia?

Question

Temos um plug-in de centro de mídia de código aberto. No momento, seu tamanho de download é de um megabyte.

Se eu alterar meu plug-in para exigir .NET 3.5, os usuários podem ter que fazer o download 197 megs Apenas para poder usar meu plug-in.

Estou no meio de um grande processo de refatoração e estou doendo para usar alguns dos aspectos funcionais do LINQ, o que reduziria consideravelmente a complexidade da nossa base de código.

.NET 3.5 é um pré-requisito razoável para o meu aplicativo? Toda a minha base de usuários já possui .NET 3.0 instalado.

Answer 1

I think it's acceptable for an open source project. Windows 7, the next version of Windows, will come with .NET 3.5. And: the probability that the XP and Vista users will already have installed 3.5 for other programs increases from month to month.

P.S.: I'm using your Media Center plugin. I am sure I'll do that 3.5 setup.

Answer 2

For a smaller installer, .Net 3.5 Sp1 has a new feature called "Client Profile".

The .NET Framework Client Profile setup contains just those assemblies and files in the .NET Framework that are typically used for client application scenarios. For example: it includes Windows Forms, WPF, and WCF. It does not include ASP.NET and those libraries and components used primarily for server scenarios. We expect this setup package to be about 26MB in size, and it can be downloaded and installed much quicker than the full .NET Framework setup package.

Answer 3

I don't know why doesn't Microsoft push hard to make .Net framework 3.5 be installed on as many machines as possible through its Windows Update or service pack.

But if you don't want your Vista users to download 3.5, you can target 2.0 framework on VS2008, 2.0 is built-in in Vista. Regarding LINQ, just find an alternative implementation, try LinqBridge. Everything else (inferred variables, automatic getter setter, collection initializers, property initializers, lambda are just compiler magics, not dependent on 3.5

Answer 4

Remember, not all of your users will need to actually deplot the .net framework. For example, Windows 7 users will already have that on thier machine.