R – How to write a class library that will work on .NET 3.5 compact framework AND regular framework

compact-frameworknet

How do I write a .NET class library that I can recompile for either the regular .NET 3.5 Framework, or the .NET 3.5 Compact Framework?

Best Answer

The two frameworks aren't binary compatible*, unfortunately, but don't let that stop you.

Create two projects in your solution (one normal Class Library project, and one Compact Framework Class Library project), and add all the files from one project to the other as links by clicking "Add|Existing File" and then checking the "add as link" checkbox on the file dialog.

Now you only have one set of source code to maintain, but your solution will build both DLLs at the same time.

If you have any code inside a file that's specific to the desktop framework and won't work on the compact framework, you can wrap it in a compiler directive (at least in C#) like this:

#if PocketPC
    // mobile-specific stuff here
#else
    // desktop-specific stuff here
#endif

Note that although you can't use desktop-framework binaries on a mobile platform, the opposite is not true. Compact framework executables can run on the desktop. I'm fairly certain, however, that a desktop application cannot reference a compact framework assembly (though I've never tried).

Related Solutions

.net – Entity Framework vs LINQ to SQL

LINQ to SQL only supports 1 to 1 mapping of database tables, views, sprocs and functions available in Microsoft SQL Server. It's a great API to use for quick data access construction to relatively well designed SQL Server databases. LINQ2SQL was first released with C# 3.0 and .Net Framework 3.5.

LINQ to Entities (ADO.Net Entity Framework) is an ORM (Object Relational Mapper) API which allows for a broad definition of object domain models and their relationships to many different ADO.Net data providers. As such, you can mix and match a number of different database vendors, application servers or protocols to design an aggregated mash-up of objects which are constructed from a variety of tables, sources, services, etc. ADO.Net Framework was released with the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1.

This is a good introductory article on MSDN: Introducing LINQ to Relational Data

C# – Calling the base constructor in C#

Modify your constructor to the following so that it calls the base class constructor properly:

public class MyExceptionClass : Exception
{
    public MyExceptionClass(string message, string extrainfo) : base(message)
    {
        //other stuff here
    }
}

Note that a constructor is not something that you can call anytime within a method. That's the reason you're getting errors in your call in the constructor body.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

.net – Entity Framework vs LINQ to SQL

C# – Calling the base constructor in C#

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