Installing the Microsoft .NET SDK

(for Beta 1)
Gopalan Suresh Raj

The Microsoft .NET Platform targets a framework called the .NET Base Class Library (BCL). .NET compilers don’t produce native machine code; instead, they generate a pseudo-machine code called Intermediate Language (IL) that’s executed by the .NET run-time. This new programming paradigm simplifies the Windows programming model and makes Web applications easier to write. It also claims to enable a new generation of software that runs on every conceivable type of computing device, from the most powerful Web server to the lowliest hand-held PC.

Microsoft .NET on Windows 2000

The absolute minimal requirements for installing and working with the Microsoft .NET SDK are: 

- Processor: Intel Pentium 166 MHz (Intel Pentium III-class 600 MHz recommended)
- RAM: 96 MB (128 MB recommended)
- Available hard disk space (for install): 250 MB
- Available hard disk space (post install): 155 MB
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 
- Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/ie55.htm).
- Other Software: MDAC 2.6 (http://www.microsoft.com/data/download_260rtm.htm).

1. You can download the Microsoft .NET SDK from here http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/ where it says "Download the .NET Framework SDK Technology Preview". It's an 86 MB download.

2. Go to the Add Programs from your Control Panel and execute the setup.exe to install the .NET SDK on your system.

The .NET SDK is installed at the following locations on your local system:
- C:\Program Files\NGWSSDK\ which contains all the programs that are required for the .NET framework including compilers, samples, etc.
- C:\WINNT\ComPlus\v2000.14.1812 (assuming your system root is C:\WINNT), which contains tools, C++ include and library files, documentation, and samples

3. To  install the samples,  goto the C:\Program Files\NGWSSDK\Samples folder and execute the samples there.

Go to the C:\Program Files\NGWSSDK\Samples\Deployment\1_HelloWorld directory. You'll find the following files:
- Build.bat - builds your executable Hello.exe
- Hello.cs - C# source code for a command line "Hello" message.
- Makefile - directions for the nmake utility to create an executable Hello.exe

Open a command prompt window and type "csc Hello.cs" on command line. This will produce the file "Hello.exe". If you type "Hello", you'll get the message "Hello World using C#!" 

Microsoft .NET on Windows 98

Even though Microsoft strongly discourages this, it seems to be possible to install the Microsoft .NET Platform on Windows 98 (no guarantees that this version will ever work on Windows 98). However, the really brave-at-heart, iron-willed men and women can try this if they want to.

There are two steps to this procudure:
- Downloading the .NET SDK, 
- Unziping your setup.exe. 

The setup.exe file contains about 6 files, one of which is a new windows installer setup, imwsce.exe. You will see two more setup files comsdk.cl and comredist.cl. Simply double click comsdk.cl, and hope that the installer runs. 

Using Visual Studio 6.0 with Syntax Coloring

Microsoft has link for using the Visual Studio IDE. Click here for details.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/voices/deepc08172000.asp

For using syntax coloring on the Visual Studio environment click here:
http://codeguru.earthweb.com/tips/syntaxCSharp.shtml 

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