We think it is time for a progress update and a preview of what you can expect the rest of this year from us.
When | What |
End of July 2022 | A new build X# 2.13 for our FOX subscribers. This build will have some changes to the compiler, mostly in the area of the handling of DEFINES and numeric conversions and the /vo4 and /vo11 compiler options. No real new features are planned for the compiler. The runtime contains some fixes for FoxPro code and contains some small enhancements. The VS Integration contains improvements in the formatting and intellisense, Windows Forms editor |
End September 2022 | We plan to release a new build (most likely called X# 3.0) that is compatible with .Net 5 and beyond. This requires changes to the build system and VS integration and some changes to the compiler. We will also additional compile the X# runtime for .Net 5 and beyond. This build will also no longer be "binary compatible" with X# 2, so new versions of 3rd party components will be needed. Of course we will still support .Net Framework 4.x We also plan to release the first version of the VFP Xporter that takes a VFP project file and converts that to a .Net solution. |
October 2022 | We hope to meet many of you during our X# summit in Memmingen. And you can still register for this event. We will also present a session on Virtual FoxFest about converting FoxPro apps to .Net. |
December 2022 | We plan to release the final version of the AnyCpu/Unicode VO Compatible GUI Classes and the AnyCpu/Unicode VO Compatible SQL Classes. A first beta version of the X# SQL RDD is also planned for this month These runtime components will be for FOX subscribers only. |
It is not either .Net 5 or VS improvements.
You will have both.
And even if the vast majority is not using it (yet), they will use it in the not too far future, I am sure about that.
If you want to develop apps that work on non Windows platforms, you will need .Net Core / .Net 5.
Robert
I know that a lot is done with every new version, but at the same time I must conclude that working in VS has improved only slowly with some major functionality not working. As even your time is limited :) my idea is that a lot of users benefit from VO-like debug & Intellisense options while few users benefit from .Net 5 support. If, by end september, there is a first .Net5 supporting X# which is still miles beyond the debugging capabilities VO users are used to, I think you have pleased maybe 1 or 2 users at the expense of many other users. Or can we expect a fully functional, Ctrl X like Immediate Window with the option to inspect dbf values too, by the end of this month?
One more question about this: Why .Net5 which reached EOL on May this year?
About third party: the only 3rd party that still haves compile warning is RightSLE with 33 9066/9071; while bBrowser for X# for 9021.
I leave this warning alone because, it escalated so much that it may go out of control.
About .NET 5.  It is already out of support.  This could mean as .NET 6.0 which is LTS, right? 
I am forced to write my a .netstandard library to allow our X# core system be able to consume some of our code that runs on .NET 5 now 6.  Currently, X# does not support .netstandard.  Unless someone told me it can.
Wishes* that longed to have with X# is VO-compatible GUI on .NET Core/5/6 and ready for testing with 7.
.NET Framework is showing its age but it is rock solid but memory hog at most.