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Thread: [RESOLVED] To discuss: Native Compiler

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    Fanatic Member Episcopal's Avatar
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    Resolved [RESOLVED] To discuss: Native Compiler

    forgive me for my ignorance of not knowing the compilers, but why doesn't NET compile in native mode? I often see users using obfuscation to protect the code.


    Sorry, and thanks.

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    PowerPoster Arnoutdv's Avatar
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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    And you ask this in the VB6 sub-forum?

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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    Ah! kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

    Sorry ... I don't know how to change the forum topics, or I don't have privileges for that

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    Super Moderator Shaggy Hiker's Avatar
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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    You can always report your own post and ask us to move it. That's totally fine.

    When .NET was originally created, it was a competitor to Java, which had the goal of Write Once, Run Everywhere. While Linux and Macs have forms, they aren't the same under the hood as a Windows form. To make a language that would run on a variety of platforms, you needed to expect that when the user creates a 'form', it would be a Windows Form on a Windows computer, a Linux form on a Linux computer, a Mac form on a Mac, and so on. Therefore, .NET compiled to Intermediate Language, with the expectation that different compilers would turn that into working machine code (the only code that actually runs on a computer) that was correct for the platform the program was running on.

    That never really worked out, and never quite worked out for Java, either. There was a compiler for Windows, and at least a valid attempt to create a compiler for Linux, but basically, .NET only ever really worked on Windows the way it was intended to work. I expect you could find any number of reasons for why that was. It's probably just a matter of debate, and pretty fruitless debate, at that. The bottom line is that the reason IL was created was the expectation that you would be able to take that IL and create a valid program on different platforms, and that goal was never realized.

    The ultimate failure of that is pretty much being realized, because .NET Core will compile to native code, .NET 5 should, as well, and the way to get cross-platform in .NET is Xamarin...and whatever comes next.

    So, it was a concept, it just didn't work out the way MS wanted it to.
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    Super Moderator jmcilhinney's Avatar
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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker View Post
    So, it was a concept, it just didn't work out the way MS wanted it to.
    I'm not so sure about that. I don't think that Microsoft really cared about .NET actually being cross-platform, as long as Windows developers used it rather than Java.

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    Super Moderator Shaggy Hiker's Avatar
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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    OK, that's a layer deeper. There was a stated goal and an actual, deeper, goal. I'd say you are right, in that regard. They didn't get the stated goal, but they got the desired outcome.
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    Super Moderator si_the_geek's Avatar
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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    Lots of developers I have known over the years liked the idea of cross-platform, and saw it as one of the reasons to switch... but very few of them actually cared about it enough to do anything after the switch, so the fact that it has taken Microsoft this long to make it happen properly wasn't a problem for most of them.

    Of course over the years the computing landscape has changed quite a lot, with there now being a much larger focus on web and portable devices, which has created different requirements from our development tools. Microsoft has done well in terms of creating things like Xamarin etc, so the opportunities to do cross platform are there for us if we want them.

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    Re: To discuss: Native Compiler

    Quote Originally Posted by si_the_geek View Post
    Of course over the years the computing landscape has changed quite a lot, with there now being a much larger focus on web and portable devices, which has created different requirements from our development tools.
    This may have changed the course of the river ...

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