The main issue for us is that as we specialise in extensibility products, we are constrained by the target platforms of our customers. If we develop an add-in using VS2005 and .NET Framework 2.0, for example, it cannot be loaded by VS2002 or VS2003. To target all three versions we would have to develop using VS2002 and .NET 1.0, which to us is an unacceptable compromise. Using native code allows us to circumvent these restrictions. Our current development (Visual Lint) was developed in VS2003 in C++ using ATL 7.1 and WTL 7.5 - and yet it can run unmodified on every version of Visual Studio from 2002 onwards (we could even make the binary compatible with VC5/VC6, if we felt the extra work was justified). You just can't do that with .NET! As an example of the sort of issue we've encountered, the VCProjectEngineLibrary COM module (which implements the Visual C++ automation model) shipped by VS2002, VS2003 and VS2005 have the same version and name, but different GUIDs in all three products. It's difficult enough to catch events from all three versions in one binary using native code (it's complex enough to write an article about, believe me) - I can't even begin to imagine how complex it would be in .NET (if it were at all possible). From another perspective, I personally find the implementation offered by WinForms extremely constrained and clunky (ever tried recovering a corrupt .resx file by hand?) after spending 10 years on Win32 development. It's fine for simple stuff, but not at all suited to the sort of complex UI projects I tend to end up working upon. Having the WinForms Resource EditorDesigner muck about in my code is not something I am at all comformable with...I much prefer the Win32 model of separating code from resources. On the flip side there are many things in .NET that are simply amazing...but unfortunately for us the advantages are more than outweighed by the disadvantages. We'll continue to make the call on a project by project basis. That's my take on it anyway. Your mileage may vary. Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.

The app is the MiniWalker. The current version was compiled with VS 2003 and it only runs with the 1.1 Framework. On a machine with only the 2.0 Framework installed, it crashes with the Type Initialization error. Microsoft says this is correct here. So it looks like a real setup program is the only answer... -- modified at 10:20 Saturday 5th November, 2005

Thanks Jim - that helps!

No, if it were the Oscar ceremony, I'd have been crying at the end, and running down the isle to hug Paul. ;P And I'm sure as heck not gonna hug Paul... Picture a huge catholic cathedral. In it there's many people, including a gregorian monk choir. You know, those who sing beautifully. Then they start singing, in latin, as they always do: "Ad hominem..." -Jörgen Sigvardsson

Thanks!

Tom Archer - MSFT wrote: Man, those were some fun days, eh? Oh, yeah! [Cues Archie and Edith for another round of "Those were the days."]:laugh: "...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9

LOL - actually it never occured to me until people wrote to offer me work. My approach depends on what is being asked for. If it's major work, I'll quote ( someone wanted me to do a fingerprint recognition system for free recently ). If not, I'll offer help, and say that if they can't do it themselves, I can quote. Christian I have several lifelong friends that are New Yorkers but I have always gravitated toward the weirdo's. - Richard Stringer

Hi Chris, First, thanks for such excellent service. CP is truly awesome!!! The keyword thing thing makes sense now. I've also tried the article title and words in the article - no luck. Ah well, just have to throw more articles in the hopper and eventually I'm sure some of them will start showing up... :-D cheers, Tom Ollar blix: more native than native

Hi Marc, Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Yes, I am one of the authors of blix and this confusion is totally my fault. I will change the download to contain a special license that allows the use of blix with the line counter utility in perpetuity. That way no developer will ever be saddled with anything. I'll reduce the size of the source download by not including the blix.dll, but instead indicating where the blix.dll can be downloaded. The clipboard feature is a great idea, I'd be glad to add it. Thanks again for your suggestions, they've been really helpful!!! Tom Ollar blix: more native than native