Greg Your thinking is somewhat echoed by Microsoft with their move to .NET Core (https://www.microsoft.com/net/core#windows) and .NET Native (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn600165(v=vs.110).aspx). Essentially there is a broader recognition that JIT’d apps are slow and that in order to compete, applications need to be precompiled for the target platform. Whilst I don’t think either of these technologies are probably suitable for desktop apps at the moment (unless you’re building UWP apps, where you get .NET Native almost out of the box) but it’s definitely worth having a read on the direction Microsoft is going.
Nick Randolph | Built to Roam Pty Ltd | Microsoft MVP – Windows Platform Development | +61 412 413 425 | @thenickrandolph | skype:nick_randolph The information contained in this email is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not disclose or use the information in this email in any way. Built to Roam Pty Ltd does not guarantee the integrity of any emails or attached files. The views or opinions expressed are the author's own and may not reflect the views or opinions of Built to Roam Pty Ltd. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Greg Keogh Sent: Thursday, 23 June 2016 5:58 PM To: ozDotNet <[email protected]> Subject: Target x86/x64 Folks (including any Microsoft boffins on this subject), When I read Joe Duffy's book Framework 2.0<https://www.amazon.com/Professional-NET-Framework-2-0-Programmer/dp/0764571354> 10 years ago he clarified how the .NET compilers generate platform agnostic IL which is JIT'd into native code at runtime appropriate for the architecture. This makes perfect sense, and as a result I have set every project I've ever created to "Any CPU" and simply trusted all the tools in the pipeline to execute my code in the best way it chooses. Now that almost all desktop and server machines are running 64-bit Windows, I want to know if there is any advantage of any kind in changing my compile projects and installer (vdproj) projects to target x64. I personally suspect there will be no performance change or any other advantage, but I'll like confirmation of this (or not). One obscure advantage of x64 installer projects is that they go into the 64-bit Program Files folder and not the (x86) one. I just think this looks nicer! I have a vague recollection that debugging 64-bit apps in Visual Studio can be troublesome. Is that also true? GregK
