FAQ: .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Client Profile Preview

What is the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview?

The .NET Framework Client Profile Preview is a new setup option for the .NET Framework available for the first time in 3.5 SP1. This new setup installer enables a faster, simpler installation experience for .NET Framework-based client applications on Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Why did Microsoft produce a new .NET Framework client installer?

Increasingly, client applications are delivered over the Internet. Although Windows Vista includes .NET Framework 3.0 enabled by default, many users are still running Windows XP machines that do not have any .NET Framework installed. Our customers have been very vocal about the need for a smaller, more reliable setup experience. The new .NET Framework Client Profile Preview is designed to make it as easy as possible to acquire the smallest set of files necessary to run a typical client application today.

How does the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview correlate to the full .NET Framework?

The .NET Framework Client Profile Preview is a subset of the full .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. The Client Profile Preview subset does not contain any assemblies that are not found in the full framework. In addition, the deployment of the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview will also allow users to update their computers to the full .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. The .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 will be a critical update to .NET Framework 3.5, pushed out to users via Windows Update. On Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, the Client Profile Preview setup bootstrapper will install updates to the full framework as needed since those versions of Windows already have the full profile of the .NET Framework.

What are the target application scenarios for the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview and what assemblies does it include?

The target for the Client Profile Preview is client application scenarios whose implementation relies on core client technologies including Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Forms, and Windows Communications Foundation. A complete file list of what is included in the Client Profile Preview can be found here.

Does the absence of a file or API set mean that it has been deprecated?

No. The general principle was that the Client Profile Preview was optimized for client installation and as such does not include feature sets that are more commonly used for server-side applications.

How do developers target the Client Profile Preview?

Visual Studio 2008 SP1 has the option to target the "Client-only Framework Subset". Visual Studio developers can view their project properties and view the Advanced Compiler Options. The options will allow users to target the framework their application will require (.NET Framework 2.0, 3.0 or 3.5). There will also be a check-box to target the "Client-only Framework Subset". This option will change the project in two subtle ways.

• First, at compile time, the reference list of DLLs will be matched up against the known "Client List" of DLLs that are included in the Client Profile. If the project has a reference to an assembly that is not included, in the "Client List", the developer will see compile-time warnings/errors.
• Second, the project will add a configuration file that will specifically declare the application as a "client" application. The configuration file will allow their application to run on a computer with just the Client Profile installed. Without the configuration file, the end-user will be prompted to install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or greater

What’s the authoring plan for custom installers?

There are two primary ways in which developers can take advantage of the Client Profile for authoring their application’s deployment solutions. First, using ClickOnce or a Visual Studio Setup Project Template, a developer will be able to set the prerequisite of their application to the .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile. In effect, when a developer deploys their application using ClickOnce or a standard Windows Installer package, the end-user’s computer will be checked to see what is installed on the computer. The installer will then deploy the .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile Preview as appropriate (~28 MB installer) or install the rest of the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, depending on what is already installed on the computer.

Microsoft will provide a Visual Studio 2008 add-in and project template that will allow users to customize the installation of the .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile Preview. Developers will be able to brand the user interface of the .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile installer to completely reflect their brand and look and to match, the brand and look of their application and provide a seemless experience from installation to application start-up. Using the ClickOnce XML deployment definition schemas with which application developers are already familiar, developers will be able to customize the installation experience to install their own prerequisites, their own applications and customize the user experience of the installer. This will be released within a few weeks of the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview release.

Does the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview work with ClickOnce?

The Client Profile Preview will work with ClickOnce application deployments. The .NET Framework Client Profile Preview bootstrapper will be able to install and launch ClickOnce application deployments and take advantage of a new ClickOnce API that will allow users to specify if any ClickOnce UI should be displayed and/or how it should look.

Is the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview compatible with third-party installation technology?

The .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile Preview can be consumed by any third-party installer to further customize to the look and feel of the installation experience. Currently, we are working with InstallShield to provide further third-party solutions.

What did you do with dependencies between client and server pieces of the platform?

Server assemblies are not shipped with the Client Profile Preview.

How will developers be able to check what versions of the .NET Framework are installed?

The .NET Framework Client Profile Preview will do the proper version checking for the developer. However, if the developer needs to do a check on the .NET Framework version installed, the Client Profile Preview has a registry key and User Agent String that can be checked. For more information, please see the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview Deployment Guide.

As mentioned earlier, the .NET Framework Client Profile Preview contains files that are found in .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5. When the Client Profile Preview is installed it will not attempt to fake out the system to make it seem as the other versions of the framework are installed. The Client Profile Preview will only register itself as being installed.