Developer Software
Microsoft to release .Net as Shared Source
Microsoft is making source code for the .Net Framework available to interested developers under its Shared Source license, the company announced on October 3.
Microsoft will be rolling out the .Net code piecemeal, after scrubbing comments. It plans to start with the .Net Base Class Libraries, ASP.Net, Windows Forms, ADO.Net, XML (System.XML) and the Windows Presentation Foundation, blogged Microsoft Developer Division General Manager Scott Guthrie. Over time, the company also plans to make available the source code for Windows Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation and Language Integrated Query (LINQ), Guthrie said.
Microsoft intentionally decided on a license that doesn’t allow changes to or redistribution of the source code because it doesn’t want the .Net Framework to be a moving target. The company positions its move as a way to help .Net developers who need to understand the inner workings of the framework to write better applications.
Microsoft will allow developers to download the .NET Framework source libraries via a standalone install,” allowing you to use any text editor to browse it locally,” Microsoft’s Guthrie explained. “We will also provide integrated debugging support of it within VS 2008,” which is slated to go to manufacturing by the end of 2007.
