Monday, June 12, 2006 12:23 PM Erwyn van der Meer

.NET Framework 3.0 = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

Kirk Allen Evans has the best explanation so far of what comprises the .NET Framework 3.0. It can be summarized as:

.NET Framework 3.0 = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

He also has a diagram showing the different parts.

Brad Abrams also tries to clear up the confusion by giving some more information .NET 3.0 and the "Orcas" release, which will be the vNextNext of the .NET Framework. The "Orcas" release will include the LINQ related technologies, like the new C# 3.0 and VB 9.0 compilers. Brad anticipates that the "Orcas" release will be called the .NET Framework 3.5. If you look at the comments to his blog entry you can see that a lot of confusion about the details still remains.

Most people are happy to see the WinFX components being put under the .NET Framework umbrella. Nevertheless a lot of people (including me) aren't happy with the version number 3.0. It suggests too much. You would think the step from 2.0 to 3.0 would mean an updated version of the CLR, the compilers and framework classes like those in ASP.NET and ADO.NET.

Yes, the WinFX components are a major addition to the .NET Framework. But I think the major version number of the .NET Framework is the wrong place to put the marketing spin about this. I even have doubts about changing the minor version number of the .NET Framework. I think it should just remain:

.NET Framework 2.0 + WinFX = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

No matter how big in functionality, WinFX is still only an addition to .NET 2.0. As such it should not change the version number. I think Microsoft should use the "Orcas" release, which does change .NET 2.0 by updating the compilers and framework classes, to fully embrace WinFX and change the version number of the .NET Framework.

Filed under:

# Where the tools have no name?

Monday, June 12, 2006 4:52 AM by Vassilis Aggelakos

Microsoft did it again. MS is going to release .Net Framework 2.0 bundled with WinFX under the name .Net...

# Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Community (NetFx3)

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:59 AM by Jan Schreuder on .Net

Microsoft have introduced the .Net 3.0 Framework (see Erwyn's post, and others). But to keep us all informed,...

# re: .NET Framework 3.0 = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 3:49 PM by Daniel Moth

You wrote:
"... WinFX is still only an addition to .NET 2.0. As such it should not change the version number. I think Microsoft should use the "Orcas" release, which does change .NET 2.0 by ..."

It is important to be precise with terms when talking about names.

".NET 2.0" is different to ".NET Framework 2.0".

With ".NET", like you imply, we mean the whole package (compilers, runtime, framework, tools etc). With ".NET Framework" we are simply talking about the libraries. So the libraries haven't changed but they have had additions made to them, hence the version number revision.

# re: .NET Framework 3.0 = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

Thursday, June 15, 2006 5:29 AM by Erwyn van der Meer

@Daniel. I meant to use .NET 2.0 as a shorthand for .NET Framework 2.0, but I see how this can be confusing as well.

The .NET Framework is not just the libraries. I consider it to be everything that is included in the .NET Framework redistributable. So it includes the compilers. And the framework version number is actually more coupled to the compiler versions than the library versions. Compare %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727 (where the compilers like csc.exe and the CLR "lives") with the Global Assembly Cache %WINDIR%\Assembly (where the libraries happily live side-by-side and you cannot see which .NET Framework version put them there).

# re: .NET Framework 3.0 = .NET Framework 2.0 + WCF + WPF + WF + WCS

Thursday, June 15, 2006 7:50 AM by Daniel Moth

I guess the key here is "...I consider it to be..."

In any case, discussing that point would mean missing the main point which IMO is, that our understanding of how things are versioned/partitioned is changing.

No longer should we expect 'file versions' or 'assembly versions' or 'folder names that include version numbers' to match 'product versions'. I agree that the world may get a bit more confusing in the beggining as a result, but I am sure you agree this is a good think since decoupling will allow more timely releases of the various bits (rather than delays in favor of the whole).

Just my *personal* opinion :-)

# Why the acronym for Windows Workflow Foundation is WF and not WWF

Friday, June 16, 2006 7:10 AM by Erwyn van der Meer

Ever wondered why the acronym for Windows Workflow Foundation is WF and not WWF?
Of course, WWF would...

# .NET Framework 3.0 June 2006 CTP just released

Friday, June 23, 2006 3:08 PM by Erwyn van der Meer

Microsoft has just released the June 2006 CTP of the .NET Framework 3.0 (fka WinFX Runtime Components)....

# .NET Framework 3.0 RTM

Tuesday, November 07, 2006 12:34 AM by Erwyn van der Meer

As announced here and here, Microsoft has released version 3.0 of the .NET Framework for download. You

# Che cosa contiene .NET Framework 3.0?

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 6:27 AM by UGbLog di Pierre Greborio