.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 – Client Profile

The .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile is a lightweight subset of the full .NET Framework 3.5 aimed to be deployed in Client machines. Therefore, it only have the assemblies that are commonly used on client boxes and does not contains any server or development related assemblies.

This framework subset weight just 27Mb against the 200Mb of the full framework.

You can get the bits from here: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile (BETA)

How do you ensure your project will work for the .Net Framework Client Profile?

It’s pretty easy, if you have installed the Visual Studio 2008 SP1 in the project properties you will find a checkbox that allows to target your application to the Client Profile subset.

Visual Studio will verify all the references and will add an exclamation icon on the references that are not available for the client subset, also when building the project, warnings will be displayed for the unavailable assemblies.

If you got the beta version of the Visual Studio SP1 you have to take in mind that the subset list (Client.xml) that Visual Studio uses to validate the references is out of synch from the actually included assemblies (VS generate warnings for some assemblies that really are in the Client Profile). To solve this issue, you may find useful the Justin Van Patten’s blog post: .NET Framework Client Profile.

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Tags: SP1