Choosing to Use .Net 4

Question

In the company I am working on, we are planning several projects that are planned to be released at the end of 2010. We currently have production applications running in all previous versions of .Net. When project development begins, I would like to consider using .Net 4.0. Before this could happen, I would have to feel comfortable proposing this idea, and I would also have to convince the management. I am looking for opinions on the start of a new project with the .NET 4.0 base, as well as pointers for convincing control, if the opinion is that you should use the latest .NET infrastructure. One thing to consider is the tools we are currently using (Telerik and EntitySpaces), and if you encounter problems using these tools in .NET 4.0. Both vendors mentioned that the products will be ready to use with .Net 4 when the product is released, but I know that there is no guarantee. I look forward to all feedback. I know that research on this topic would not be complete without publishing the situation on SO :)

Answer 1

.NET 4 is in the process of selecting a candidate and is very stable in my opinion. It also has a GoLive convention, which means it maintains its current state. This Spring will be released, so it will be RTM by the time you are ready to deploy. Having said that, obviously, you and the parties concerned must make the final decision, but I believe that this is a safe choice. In addition, since the new version of the CLR that ported the application to 4.0 later can break changes very much, so starting with version 4.0 would be better than postponing later during the development process, when these changes can affect your term.

Answer 2

Grab your beta or RC and see what has changed in 4.0.

Test the tools you are currently using to ensure compatibility: you know how well they work when they are expected to be 100% etc.

Being smart at this already, when the time comes to offer work with a new infrastructure, there will be a long way to convince management that you are able to take advantage of new features.

Answer 3

There is no reason not to. People like Telerik and ES will be ready for you.

After all, there are not many changes. The tool is excellent. And you have options that are not in 3.5.

In general, I want all the fresh beginnings to be the latest and greatest. This is where community efforts are. And if the tool saves the developer an hour per week, it's worth it.

Answer 4

I would have to feel comfortable proposing this idea, and I would also have to convince the management

You not only need to be aware of this idea, but you need to be an advocate. What are the risks, costs (not only for acquiring software, but also for training and increasing time for other team members) and for benefits? Do your research. Get your hands-on time with 4.0. Ask yourself: "How will I use this application in different ways in 4.0?"

Create an attractive step. Until you do this, do not expect the manual to update the drive.

Answer 5

You also need to consider the time it takes to distribute .NET 4 — it won’t be immediate, with the exception of the developer community. If you are building a redistributable application for .NET 4, potential customers will need the latest installed runtime. This is not so much a server-side issue, but even that can be a problem.

If you are planning an application that will be released some time after the release of .NET 4, this may work for you. Not knowing how MS plans to distribute the v4 runtime, I suspect it will be some time before it is wide enough to be attributable.