Good IDE for Mono on Windows - c#

I would like to develop Mono application for Win/Linux/Mac in C# on Windows. Is there any really good (Visual Studio comparable) IDE for that? The best would be if I could manage Visual C# Express to compile solutions using the Mono compiler.
I've found a #develop IDE, which looks very cool and has many features that Express edition of the Visual Studio hasn't (like plugins for TortoiseSVN, NUnit, etc). Hovewer the 3.* versions dropped support for Mono, so you are no longer able to compile solutions using the Mono compiler.
There is also a MonoDevelop. I've tried it and it sucks. Not comparable to Visual Studio at all. No WinForms designer, + tons of other missing features. I would just like if they would drop the development of MonoDevelop and build a plugin for #develop instead.
Is there any other good enough IDE, or is it possible to make the Visual C# Express or #develop compile the solutions with Mono compiler?
EDIT: Delphi Prism looks cool, but it isn't C#.


You can always develop your applications using Visual Studio Express Edition (since you don't want to pay for the Mono Tools). Monodevelop will support compilation of Visual Studio solutions now, so just develop in VS, and recompile occasionally in Monodevelop to guarantee support.
Since Mono now supports Windows Forms, you can develop a Windows Forms application entirely in Visual Studio, and just deploy it using Mono. Since C# compiles to IL, it doesn't matter which IDE you use to develop - you can still run it on Mono.


How about Mono Tools for Visual Studio?
Note that it's a commercial plugin.


Whilst SharpDevelop 3.2 does not support mono out of the box but if you download the source code for SharpDevelop you can find a code sample that contained the original code for mono support. If you build that sample then mono support will be re-enabled in SharpDevelop.
A decision was made to remove mono support from the main SharpDevelop application since only support for compiling with mono was provided and MonoDevelop can now run on Windows. Note that mono support in SharpDevelop does not provide any integrated debugging with mono's debugger and there is no GTK# designer compared with MonoDevelop.


You can use Mono Tools for Visual Studio. However, it's a paid product.


I think your best bet will be to do development with VS C# Express, and then use a virtual machine--such as VMWare, Virtual PC, VirtualBox, etc.--to access Linux (which is the primary platform for MonoDevelop, and on which it works really well, comparably to VS.)
There are even a number of downloads available that are primed for doing exactly this. You could even use a Live CD, and just reboot your machine to get into Linux (which can usually access Windows partitions with no problems.)

Related

Is it possible to remotely debug a Mono console app from Visual Studio?

I want to use latest Mono (5.4.1.6) to write a console app in Visual Studio 2015/2017 for a Raspberry Pi 3 (Linux). Searching the web I've found that it is possible to use Visual Studio, but there are limitations.
I can use MonoRemoteDebugger, but I also need to target Mono framework, not .NET framework, because I do not know if they are fully compatible. Adding the Mono target profile works only up to profile 4.0 and I want to use the latest Mono (.NET 4.5).
MDebug looks fine, but it is not free.
Mono Helper also looks fine, but how can I remotely debug the app?
I can use Xamarin Studio 6.3 configured for remote debugging, but I have not tested it and I do not know how well it works. Also, I prefer Visual Studio and it would be great if I avoided installing a different IDE if VS could do the job.
So, is it possible to remotely debug Mono app from Visual Studio? Should I try Visual Studio Code?
If I finished my app, then how can I generate the release build?
I've noticed that the plugins have the option to debug the app, but not for generating the release build.
This is new to me and information found on the web did not help me understand everything I need to do my work. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

It seems it is not possible with free software. I can use Visual Studio with MonoRemoteDebugger and if I have doubts about code compatibility, I can build the project in Xamarin which permits targeting Mono.

Can i force visual studio to use MinGW compiler instead of its default compiler?

I am developing desktop application in visual studio 2008 using c# for a machine which cuts the material in two parts using laser. At the electronics hand my friend uses a QT programming language to made a library for serial communication and axis handling. As we know QT programming uses a MinGW compiler while C# uses a VC++. There is many ways to use QT Library in C# like using Qt MSVC add-in you can compile library in Visual Studio's compiler, I have tried and also got succeeded in this, but there are some limitations of QT library to execute functionality like threads,etc on MSVC compiler. So now I think, if my C# application able to compile on MinGw compiler using Visual Studio IDE then it becomes very easy to execute all QT library functionality on windows platform through my code.
In simple words, Is there is any way to change the compiler of Visual Studio to MinGW for compilation successfully code of both different platform?

Related: How do I set GNU G++ compiler in Visual studio 2008
Additional Advice:
I've used Qt for years and never had a threading issue using QThread and the MSVC or MinGW toolchain. My advice would be to look into the QtCreator IDE, it is an optional install in the tools section of Qt. It has come a long way, especially on Windows and Linux. With the proper configuration you can test side-by-side compilations using different toolchains.
I made the switch from Visual Studio IDE a few years back and haven't regretted it.

How do you compile C#?

So, I was wondering how to compile C#. I have Windows 7 Enterprise. Is there a built-in program or do I have do download one?
If I have to download one, what do you recommend?
I have Googled this, and it told me about "csc.exe" but I can't find this.

For any real development, an IDE is preferable. Microsoft offers the Visual Studio Express edition for free, which has everything you need to get started with C#.
However, you can compile using just the command line compiler (csc.exe), which is included with the framework.
It should be located in the .NET installation dir; for instance on my machine for .NET 4, 64 bit version, I have a csc.exe in:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319

Your choices are:
csc.exe (the command line compiler), which is in c:\Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v4.0.30319\
Install Visual Studio Express, the free edition of VS, for Windows/Console Applications, Web Applications, or Windows Phone Applications
Purchase a license for Visual Studio 2010 or get an MSDN subscription

Use the command line compiler csc
C:\>csc file.cs

You can use Visual Studio Community edition which is a full featured free IDE from Microsoft that will compile C#.

Since you're starting fresh, why not use an IDE that does it for you?
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-csharp-express

You can find the command-line compiler, csc.exe, in \Windows\Microsoft.Net\Framework\vX.Y.
However, you will probably want to use Visual Studio, Microsoft's world-class IDE.
You can download the free version.

For literally compiling C#: Native Image Generator
Otherwise get Visual Studio.

Using Visual Studio will be the easiest way. There are free editions available - see http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/express for details.

You need Visual Studio to compile it once you have it installed. Once you have it installed you can go to Visual Studio Command Prompt and Use C# compiler csc.exe to compile it.
Look here for more information Command-Line Building

You need to have the framework installed (2.0, minimum). Then follow this old article for a simple how-to:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms379563(v=vs.80).aspx
NOTE: Microsoft IDEs like VS can do this for you also.

Not sure if you can do this by default with Windows 7 Enterprise. At very least you are likely going need visual studio.
You can get Visual C# here for free: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-csharp-express

I would advice Visual Studio, the express edition is for free, you can find more information on the microsoft site over here.

I started using SharpDevelop as a portable text editor that understood ASPX files out-of-the-box (vs. Sublime, etc.), but I've build a couple of small (<10K lines) utilities using just that and CSC now. A portable copy of SharpDevelop is especially handy when you don't have the administrative permissions (or time) to install full Microsoft Visual Studio in an environment.
Download the "XCopyable" edition to get the portable edition of SharpDevelop from here:
http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Download/Default.aspx#SharpDevelop5x

Also consider the option of using Mono & MonoDevelop available for Mac, Linux and Windows. Not a bad choice for a serious beginner.

.Net RAD IDE - Opensource Preferred

I am looking for a tool that would allow me to use LINQ and build a .Net app rapidly.

If you must have an open-source .NET IDE, you have two choices that I'm aware of: MonoDevelop and SharpDevelop. However, there are also free versions of Visual Studio.

If you need open source IDEs
Check :
SharpDevelop
CSharp Studio
MonoDevelop
xacc

The tool is called Visual Studio. There's even a free version. Another tool might be hiring a developer that builds .NET applications rapidly.

SharpDevelop or Express editions

Since there is a Sharpdevelop 3.0 ( http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Download/ ) can anybody tell me how it compares to the Express Editions ? ( http://www.microsoft.com/Express/ )
I tried to find differences, but could only find this old post http://community.icsharpcode.net/blogs/mattward/pages/VisualStudioExpressComparison.aspx

I wrote a blog-post about it, you can find it here
In my conclusion I say:
Conlusion
If I have to choose for web applications than the express edition wins easily. The build in webserver, the graphical designer with split screen functionality and javascript debugging just make it too good.
If you think you really need to work with a database from within the IDE than also SharpDevelop is not for you. If you want to create a windows forms or console application both will work fine, if you want to build these applications more seriously and use a source control system, static code analysis and stylecop from the IDE you need SharpDevelop !
If the express editions would allow third party extensibility (Resharper) and solve my little annoyances, it would be number one.
If SharpDevelop would get a resharper add-in, a graphical designer for web pages and a build in web server, it would be number one.

SharpDevelop is a free/opensource project. Where as Microsoft Visual Studio Express Edition is a crippled Visual Studio lacking some of the tool/features that help in release commercial software.
If you are planing on using Visual Studio in the future, then use express edition. Otherwise I would highly recommend SharpDevelop.
In terms of features, they both have debuggers, they both have syntax highlighting and code completion. They both will have all the features you expect from a full out RAD IDE for .Net.

The other issue that is worth mentioning is the unit testing support in Sharpdevelop. Nunit can be integrated into the IDE and that is a huge gain IMO. Unit testing in #Develop is far superior to MSTest and Nunit with VS is not integrated into the IDE.

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