C#•3y ago

✅ Making a library as accessible for different .NET versions as possible

I'm developing a simple library meant to be an API wrapper for .NET projects that might want to access it. I'd like it to be usable by as many versions of .NET as possible within reason. What should I target? should I target multiple versions? .NET Standard? I've seen some libraries use multi-targeting and then

#if

#if

blocks for newer-version features, so I guess that's a possibility too?

Or should I just not care and expect users to upgrade/update in order to encourage people not staying on ancient versions?

Zombie•3/2/23, 3:23 AM

If you want maximum compatibility, target .NET Standard 2.0. If you want a little bit less compatibility, but more flexibility in what you can write, target .NET Standard 2.1

Zombie•3/2/23, 3:23 AM

Otherwise, multi-target your library

Zombie•3/2/23, 3:23 AM

Then you can have your cake and eat it too

Cracker•3/2/23, 8:02 PM

here you can see netstandard2.0 and other netstandard versions compatiblity to other targets https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/net-standard?tabs=net-standard-2-0

Cracker•3/2/23, 8:02 PM

netstandard2.0 is quite best option I suppose

ZZombie If you want maximum compatibility, target .NET Standard 2.0. If you want a littl...

mtreit•3/2/23, 8:46 PM

If by "little bit less compatibility" you mean "no .NET Framework at all" :/

Mmtreit If by "little bit less compatibility" you mean "no .NET Framework at all" :/

teauxfu•3/3/23, 2:41 AM

what does framework do that core doesn't?

Tteauxfu what does framework do that core doesn't?

mtreit•3/3/23, 2:47 AM

Runs large legacy codebases

KielOP•3/3/23, 5:48 AM

Thanks for the suggestions all, I think I'll go with .NET Standard 2.0. I'm working with really simple API endpoints and simple JSON models, so it will probably not be a big issue blobthumbsup

Accord•3/4/23, 5:55 AM

Was this issue resolved? If so, run

/close

/close

otherwise I will mark this as stale and this post will be archived until there is new activity.