FYI: .NET Source Code to Become Available

Hello,

for your information in case you didn't yet notice the news: Microsoft has
announced plans to give developers the ability to view .NET class library
source code. This is announced here:

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/10/03/releasing-the-source-code-for-the-net-framework-libraries.aspx

Says the blog:

----------------
"...the ability for .NET developers to download and browse the source code
of the .NET Framework libraries, and to easily enable debugging support in
them. [...]

We'll begin by offering the source code (with source file comments included)
for the .NET Base Class Libraries (System, System.IO, System.Collections,
System.Configuration, System.Threading, System.Net, System.Security,
System.Runtime, System.Text, etc), ASP.NET (System.Web), Windows Forms
(System.Windows.Forms), ADO.NET (System.Data), XML (System.Xml), and WPF
(System.Windows). [...]

The source code will be released under the Microsoft Reference License
(MS-RL).

You'll be able to download the .NET Framework source libraries via a
standalone install (allowing you to use any text editor to browse it
locally). We will also provide integrated debugging support of it within VS
2008."
----------------

Sounds great to me!

Other posts related to this:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2191696,00.asp

http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/10/04/microsoft_dot_net_opensource_license/

--
Regards,

Mr. Jani Järvinen
C# MVP
Helsinki, Finland
janij@removethis.dystopia.fi
http://www.saunalahti.fi/janij/

Mads
Wed Oct 03 23:14:26 PDT 2007

Jani Järvinen [MVP] wrote:

> Hello,
>
> for your information in case you didn't yet notice the news: Microsoft has
> announced plans to give developers the ability to view .NET class library
> source code. This is announced here:
>

[...]
>
> Sounds great to me!

Please note though, that looking at MS source code under that license may
place you at risk for been ligiated (hope that is the correct word, english
is not my first language), in case MS thinks part of your code looks a bit
too much like their code.

Contributing to e.g. the Mono project will not be a possibility for you, if
you have looked at the MS code.

Regards,

Mads

--
Med venlig hilsen/Regards

Systemudvikler/Systemsdeveloper cand.scient.dat, Ph.d., Mads Bondo
Dydensborg
Dansk BiblioteksCenter A/S, Tempovej 7-11, 2750 Ballerup, Tlf. +45 44 86 77
34

Jeff
Thu Oct 04 01:02:39 PDT 2007

On 04/10/2007 in message <#KvEQ5jBIHA.4956@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> Jani
Järvinen [MVP] wrote:

>for your information in case you didn't yet notice the news: Microsoft has
>announced plans to give developers the ability to view .NET class library
>source code.

Is this so we can debug it and correct the problems ourselves?

--
Jeff Gaines

Frans
Thu Oct 04 02:59:23 PDT 2007

Jeff Gaines wrote:

> On 04/10/2007 in message <#KvEQ5jBIHA.4956@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl> Jani
> Järvinen [MVP] wrote:
>
> > for your information in case you didn't yet notice the news:
> > Microsoft has announced plans to give developers the ability to
> > view .NET class library source code.
>
> Is this so we can debug it and correct the problems ourselves?

You can debug it, but you can't correct it. You aren't allowed to
rebuild the code, alter it, re-use it etc.

In fact, by debugging it, you're looking at it and therefore you can
never write such a class yourself unless it looks totally different.

FB

--
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Lead developer of LLBLGen Pro, the productive O/R mapper for .NET
LLBLGen Pro website: http://www.llblgen.com
My .NET blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/fbouma
Microsoft MVP (C#)
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