Distributing Applications based on the .NET framework

[Eloff]

I have a 500K application built using compnents of the .NET framework like SOAP, webclient, windows forms, etc. Do I have to package the whole .NET redistributable with it (20+MB) for those without .NET? Thats prohibitive for most people on dialup. Surely I would only need to include the parts that I used or how does this work? I love working with .NET but I dont think much more than 50% of online windows users have it, if that Is there any clean solution to distributing .NET applications? In 5 years this wont be an issue any longer, but thats little consolation to developers today.

Thanks for any comments, I appreciate your time.

 

[wyrd]

Do I have to package the whole .NET redistributable with it (20+MB) for those without .NET?

Yes. .NET works just like Java. If they dont have the runtime, they cant use the program.

 

[Divil]

The trend for .NET downloadable programs is to just point the user to the Microsoft download page for the runtimes. There is no broken down version, only the whole lot, which is 24MB for the latest.

 

[Eloff]

Ouch, do you think its still worth it to write downloadable programs in .NET?

 

[mutant]

Why not, most of the computers will have .NET framework at some point, and there is more and more broadband users.