Since I upgraded my project to visual studio 2010 project format, my C++/CLI project is targeted to .net framework 4.0.
It is easy to switch the framework version to another version from a C# project, but I have no clue how to do this in a C++/CLI project, I see no setting for this in the project property pages.
This shows up when you press F1 in the Framework and References dialog:
By default for new projects, the targeted framework is set to .NET Framework 4. The IDE does not support modifying the targeted framework, but you can change it manually.
In the project file (.vcxproj), the default targeted framework is represented by the v4.0 property element. To change the targeted framework, unload the project, use a text editor to open the project file, and then change the value of the property element from v4.0 to another version that is installed on your server. For example, if you specify v3.5, which represents the .NET Framework v3.5, Visual Studio 2008 SP1 must be installed. Save and close the file, reload the project, and verify that the targeted framework is displayed in the property page.*
That's not terribly accurate on converted projects, you'll have to add the <TargetFrameworkVersion> element yourself. Put it in the PropertyGroup labeled "Globals":
<PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v3.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
<others...>
</PropertyGroup>
The story is different when you use VS2012 and up, the first version of VS that acquired the Platform Toolset setting in the General property page. You must then select "v90" to get a proper build that targets 3.5. It is however clumsy, you must have all intermediate versions of VS installed on the machine to have that selection available.
Why you need VS2008 installed requires an explanation by itself. The core issue is that the C runtime library (msvcrt100.dll and up) contains .NET code to support managed code execution. The crucial detail is a module initializer that ensures the CRT is correctly initialized in program that uses C++/CLI code. That code always targets .NET 4 and since it is hard-baked into msvcrt100.dll (and up) you always have a rock-hard dependency on the v4.0.30319 runtime. You can only ever have a pure v2.0.50727 dependency when you use the old C runtime, msvcrt90.dll. You can only be sure that you have a msvcrt90.dll dependency when you use the compiler's #include files of VS2008.
Cold hard fact that it is pretty necessary to move to .NET 4 soon, you'll struggle with build problems like this if you don't. There are very few practical obstacles to that, .NET 4 is widely available for free on all targets you'd imagine. Overcoming the FUD that is associated with moving to a higher runtime version is generally only the real issue. No reasons for fear and doubt, it is stable.
Yes it is possible to change the target even for managed C++ projects:
Changing the Target .NET Framework for
C++/CLI (VS 2010) To change the
version of the .NET Framework for
C++/CLI projects (VS 2010)
Right click on project in Solution
Explorer and click Unload project
Right click on unloaded project in
Solution Explorer and select Edit
<projectname>.vcxproj In project XML
file locate node <PropertyGroup Label="Globals"> In that node locate
node <TargetFrameworkVersion> (if the
node cannot be found, add it) Inner
text of the node defines target
framework. It can be v2.0,v3.0, v3.5
or v4.0 Save vcxproj file and close it
Right click on unloaded project in
Solution Explorer and click Reload
Project Example
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v3.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
Note: These steps apply only for
Visual Studio 2010 as it uses new
format of C++ project files.
Source on MSDN: How to: Change the Target .NET Framework
by an anonymous user:
(Editing as I am a new user and cannot respond to this, whomever sees this feel free to submit the following) Changing the Toolset to v100 actually causes VS2010 to target .NET 4.0, even though it will still show up as targetting 3.5 in the project properties. VS2010 should really spit out a warning about this, because currently it appears as you though you can target .NET 3.5 with the v100 toolset, which you can't.
In VS 2010 if the toolset is installed go to project properties->config properties->general and change Platform Toolset from v90 to v100.
Related
I'm in C# in Visual Studio running 2015 Update 3.
I'm using a dll that I made myself for the backend of a system, and in the references of the project, one shows the "System" as Version 2.0.5 and the project being used as a dll shows it as 4.0.0. I believe this is the cause of a conflict that is preventing me from running this app. How do I update just the system version or even specify it so I can make them the same?
I think you should go to the references of your project containing the old reference, remove System and add it with version 4.0.0.0. However, you should also check that target .NET framework versions match (maybe the older dll is obtained compiling against .NET framework 2.0 and the newest one against .NET framework 4.0).
In order to find out the cause that is preventing you from running the application (you should provide what is happening), an useful tool is Assembly Binding Log Viewer which will show the exact assemblies that the application is trying to load (fully qualified assembly names).
I have several projects in a large solution that won't convert to V4.5.1 (or even V4.5). Most did, but obviously I need to get all of them converted. The GUI in Visual Studio says that it did it and reloads the project, but if you go back into the properties it still says V4 and it won't compile because of dependencies that converted properly and are V4.5.1
I tried manually updating the .csproj files and it says 4.5.1 as the target framework, and I even updated the app.config/web.config to point to the right version, however Visual Studio's property page still says .NET 4 and is throwing compile errors because it can't access the ones that successfully updated to 4.5.1
What am I missing in the process to get these updated? I've tried VS.net 2012 and 2013 and both do the same thing.
In hopes that this helps others:
In our case, the issue was that we were referencing a custom targets file that was created for the entire solution. even though the project was getting updated, the custom targets file was overriding it thus preventing the project from getting updated.
Updated the targets file to point to .net 4.5 and everything was fine.
For me, the solution was to remove all the extraneous <PropertyGroup> sections from the .csproject file - except the first one.
VS 2015 was setting the <TargetFramework> to 4.5.1 on only one of them (not the first one).
After two days of suffering, I have created a new project, targeted .NET 4.5 and then manually copied all files from the existing project. Made sure new project compiles. Removed old project. Moved new project into the directory of the old project so that I can reverse merge into trunk. Job done.
Project I was upgrading was an old WPF project with thousands (no kidding) XAML files in a single project. It also had a release preview of MvvmLight (years old) and an older version of Prism along with a range of other libraries. All and all the project is a mess and somebody must have done something really stupid to make targeting .NET 4.5 this difficult.
I had a similar issue. Turns out the DLLs were built for target framework 4.5.1, but the project I was working in was built for 4.5 only. There were some suppressed warning messages when I compiled. When I showed compile warnings, that was the hint that told me what was going on.
I recompiled the DLLs for framework 4.5, and then the DLLs copied automatically without needing additional references to the assemblies.
In my case I was working with projects designed for SharePoint 2010. Apparently the project template restricts the .NET target framework version which can be selected.
As I was trying to compile a SharePoint 2016 server, once I got the beta templates downloaded for 2016, Visual Studio automatically prompted me to upgrade these projects when trying to open the solution again. Hope this helps someone.
Preview bits for SharePoint 2016 are available here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49972
We have a few apps that still have to be 2.0 because they are going to go on client machines that won't have the v3.5 framework installed, and we want to make sure no code gets slipped in that doesn't belong. I know the 3.5 framework includes the 2.0 framework. That said, we're trying to make sure that if someone inadvertently changes the targeted version on a specific project from 2.0 to something else, our automated builds will fail. This shouldn't happen, but we're trying to be extra careful.
We thought there might be someway using beforeBuild and possibly the TargetFrameworkVersion in the .csproj file. As in "if the TargetFrameworkVersion is not 2.0, output message and fail the build". Is this possible/the best way to do this?
It sounds like you want to change the "Target Framework" of the project(s) in question to .Net Framework 2.0.
From the MSDN article "If you change the .NET Framework version, you may receive error messages if your code contains references to a different version. "
Great MSDN walk-through here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb398202.aspx
If you want to enforce version 2.0 on the build server, then modify the msbuild options to "override" the toolset version to 2.0. This command switch takes precedent over the project settings file, and "causes all projects and their project-to-project dependencies to be built according to that ToolsVersion, even if each project in the solution specifies its own". Here is the msdn on what a toolset is: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb383796(v=vs.90).aspx and here is the MSDN on how to specify the command line switch: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb383985(v=vs.90).aspx
If you are using TFS to do your nightly builds then here is how to add the argument (i'm using VS 2010 Pro):
Go to Team Explorer and expand the project
Right click the builds item
Select New Build Definition (or edit an existing build definition)
Go to Process
Expand "Agent Settings"
Find MsBuild Arguments.
Add /tv:2.0 and save the build changes when you have finished with any other settings.
Now, even if the project file changes the build server will catch code above the 2.0 level and fail. If you are not using TFS to do the builds, see if your tool lets you modify the msbuild command line.
I would like to know how can i transform a .NET 4.0 VS 2010 C# project intro a 3.x .NET version? I just made an app for someone and i don't think he has the .NET 4.0 platform installed . Any ideas?
Change project target framework to 3.5 might work unless your using some 4.0 specific things.
Or make sure that the user has 4.0 installed if possible.
No, you cannot do it directly. You have three options:
create a new project file that targets the 3.x framework and add the files to it (make sure they are not using v4.0 features)
get your friend to install the v4.0 framework - it is roughly 50MB, not really that big
as Jon pointed out, just retarget your project to v3.x in your VS2010 IDE (in the solution explorer, right click on your project, select Properties, go to the Application tab, use the Target framework dropdown)
if you have completed a reasonable amount of code it may be simpler to just install the new version of the framework.
Change the target framework.
But if you want to use it in Visual Studio 2008 (the URL of your question suggests it), then:
Open the sln file with notepad, and change the following line:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
to:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00
The easiest way is to create a new Visual Studio 2008 project with your requirements (.NET version, namespace, etc) and just copy all sources from your Visual Studio 2010 project to that project. The solution explorer has an option that shows all files in your project that are not included, and you can include these files in your project by right clicking on the files and selecting "Include in project." Then just compile and see what problems you get.
Use the "Properties" from the project and select the version of the framework in "Target Framework"; that is required.
Project1: A C++ EXE project with code
generation option "runtime library" set to
"Multithreaded Debug Dll".
Project2: A C# EXE project developed
with .Net Version, say, 3.5
Suppose I want to write an installer project for these projects. I naturally include their primary outputs (the exe's) in the installation package. But the exe's are not sufficient to ensure that they will be runnable on the target machine. In case of project1 we will need msvcrt.dll and possibly others(not sure), and, in case of project2 we will need the .NET framework of the corresponding version. The question is, is it possible to make the installation package automatically include those? If it is not, how is it best done manually? TIA.
It is already automatic afaik. Every time I tinkered with a Setup project, it already figured out the prerequisites from the projects I added. From your Setup project, use Project + Properties and click Prerequisites. Verify that the right Visual C++ Runtime Libraries and .NET Framework are ticked.