Hi Stoll,
..NET applications require the .NET Framework run-time (about 20 MB). There
are 3rd party tools that allow you to virtualize that
(
http://www.thinstall.com/solutions/net_virtual.php) but maybe they are
overkill for your project.
..NET applications don´t necessarily require a setup. Since no registration
is involved, simple apps can run directly from the .exe.
Finally, something that you need to understand from the sales/downloads
point of view: not everybody has a broadband Internet connection, there are
lots of countries and lots of end users still using dialup connections (with
flat rates, but 56 Kbps dialup connections). Even if everybody had a
broadband connection, most end users don´t know what the heck the .NET
Framework is or what a run-time is. Forcing them to download (or even to
locate) separately the (localized) run-time DLLs for your app, maybe a
reboot, etc. will cause a bad first impression (there is no chance for a
second "first impression"), and it will hurt strongly your download ratio
and your sales ratio. Simply put, end users expect a single setup that runs
fast and smoothly. Period. If you distribute your app in a CD then .NET is a
suitable option for you. If the web is your only distribution medium, then
think twice about your options (VB6 has a much smaller run-time requirement,
for example). The bottom line is that end-users do not have our developer
mindset...
--
Best regards,
Carlos J. Quintero
MZ-Tools: Productivity add-ins for Visual Studio
You can code, design and document much faster:
http://www.mztools.com
"Stoll" <Noone@home> escribió en el mensaje
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I am thinking of buying a copy of VB, and wanted to make sure I could make
use of it before I spend the money. Is there any way to create an
application that would work without needing the .NET framework? Or an app
that could run without itself being installed? I would like to offer some
small (mostly graphic utility) apps on the 'Net, but if the user requires
the .NET framework the software will be useless, people won't want to
download such a huge system just to run my small application.