.NET Framework Libraries source code available: Look but don't change

By Jack Vaughan 04 Oct 2007 | SearchVB.com

.NET Essentials Channel Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

With the upcoming release of the .NET Framework 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008, Microsoft will reveal the source code for the .NET Framework Libraries. Licensing terms, however, do not allow changes or redistribution of the .NET Framework source code.

That source code will be scrubbed of some comments and will be released under yet another of Microsoft's several software licenses, this being the Microsoft Reference License, or MS-RL.

Microsoft's Scott Guthrie said in a blog entry entitled Releasing the source code for the .NET Framework libraries that making the source code available will aid in debugging and provide developers added insight into how .NET Framework libraries are implemented.

The ability to set the debugger to dynamically download the .NET Framework debugger symbols (and corresponding source code) from a web server hosted by Microsoft will come with the formal release of Visual Studio 2008, according to Guthrie.

For its part, Microsoft describes Ms-RL as ''the most restrictive'' of the Microsoft source code licenses. The license prohibits all use of source code other than the viewing of the code for reference purposes. The license is meant to enable the company to release, for review purposes only, "more sensitive intellectual property assets."

What is the order of release? Guthrie says the plan is to start with the following:

• .NET Base Class Libraries (System, System.IO, System.Collections, System.Configuration, System.Threading, System.Net, System.Security, System.Runtime, System.Text, etc.)
• ASP.NET (System.Web)
• WinForms (System.Windows.Forms)
• ADO.NET (System.Data)
• XML (System.Xml)
• WPF (System.Windows)

Microsoft will then, he writes, ''be adding more libraries in the months ahead (including WCF, Workflow, and LINQ).''

More on the .NET Framework Library source code release
Making .NET Framework source Aaailable to developers (Shawn Burke)
Source code for the .NET Framework (Mike Harsh)
Reports of snowballs in hell... (Ted Neward)

Tags: .NET Framework 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 development,  .NET development community,  VIEW ALL TAGS

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT .NET Framework 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 development Microsoft's message at TechEd: make the most of what you have How to speed up Visual Studio 2008's slow WPF designer How to list fonts in WPF using markup extensions and data templates How to convince management to buy Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Moonlight 1.0 release brings Silverlight to Linux Microsoft cuts Visual Studio 2008 upgrade prices as VS 2010 looms User Account Control (UAC): How to develop code for standard users How to write installers in Vista that work correctly under UAC How to elevate programs' privileges correctly using Vista's UAC Introduction to Vista's user account control (UAC) for developers .NET development community Microsoft's message at TechEd: make the most of what you have How to convince management to buy Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Silverlight plug-in for Eclipse highlights Microsoft's work on interop Java application frameworks come to .NET Microsoft sparks creativity with DreamSpark student developer program Assessing Microsoft's bid for Yahoo Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion Try the Microsoft Download Center -- now powered by Silverlight .NET User Groups Learning Guide: International .NET User Groups Learning Guide: Canada

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary Cosmos  (SearchWinDevelopment.com) IronRuby  (SearchWinDevelopment.com) Visual Studio Express (VSE)  (SearchWinDevelopment.com)

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary