Can a C # compiled application run on a computer where .net is not installed?

Question

I want to develop a small utility for Windows, and I prefer to do it in C # because it is simpler (I'm a Java developer).

The utility will be available for download by many people, and I assume that some of them will not have the .net infrastructure installed (is this assumption true, let's say I aim to win xp and higher?)

My question is: is it possible to compile a C # application so that it does not require the installation of the .NET Framework?

Answer 1

Usually you need to install the .NET Framework on the target system. There is no easy way.

However, some third-party tools, such as Xenocode or Salamander, allow you to create stand-alone applications. See this related question:

Is there a way to compile a .NET application to my own code?

Since these solutions are not straightforward and require commercial products, I would recommend that you create a simple installation and deployment project for Visual Studio. In the project properties, you should include the .NET Framework as a prerequisite. The created setup.exe will automatically download and install the .NET Framework before installing your application.

Answer 2

No, it must be installed .Net framework. Please note that you will only need the redistributable version, not the SDK.

Answer 3

The small side - but in this case we consider the possibility of developing a utility in Silverlight - it is much smaller and is supported on a number of operating systems. This may allow you to get coverage, including people who do not yet have .NET.

If you need "normal" .NET, then a "Client Profile" is probably an option.

Answer 4

Perhaps you can also include the .net installer in your application.

Answer 5

In a related question Can you compile C # without using the .Net framework? he mentioned that you can do this using mkbundle from mono. I have not tried this myself, so I can’t comment if this is how you should go, but you can think about it.