SOLVED - Multi-Target .Net 2.0 or Extension Methods

Update:Corrected "System.ComponentModel.CompilerServices" to "System.Runtime.CompilerServices"

Ok so it looks like "I was wrong". (well it's not like that hasn't happened before :))

NOTE: This information was found in an article called Basic Instincts in the November Edition of MSDN Magazine in a subsection entitled "Extension Methods in .NET Framework 2.0 Apps"

It's true that a .Net 2.0 targeted application cannot reference System.Core (The DLL that contains the Extension Attribute) but it turns out that you don't need to do this anyway.

Instead, you can create your own.

Yup with the following code.....
-------------------------------------------------------------
Namespace System.Runtime.CompilerServices
    Public Class ExtensionAttribute
        Inherits Attribute
    End Class
End Namespace
-------------------------------------------------------------
...in addition to the required import where necessary...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
-------------------------------------------------------------
...you too can fake out the IDE and have it compile your own String.ShowAsMessage Sub thus:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Public Module Ext
    <Extension()> _
    Public Sub ShowAsMessage(ByVal SomeString As String)
        MessageBox.Show(SomeString)
    End Sub
End Module
-------------------------------------------------------------
... and now you can do strange stuff like....
-------------------------------------------------------------
Call "Fred".ShowAsMessage()
-------------------------------------------------------------

The article further notes...

...this technique will not work for ASP.NET applications targeting the .NET Framework 2.0 because they have a runtime dependency on the 2.0 command-line compiler. When those apps are deployed to Web servers that only have the .NET Framework 2.0 installed, they will not work because the 2.0 VBC.EXE command-line compiler does not understand extension methods.

So I guess we just have to be careful.

SOLVED - COMException in VS2008 Conversion Wizard

The COMException is caused by a few projects in my solution being bound to IIS rather than to the built in Web Development Server. I Asked on the ASP.Net Forums and you can follow the conversation here.

Studio apparently needs some rights (that it doesn't get by default) to read some info from IIS.

The work around is to launch Studio with "Run as Administrator" permission and all should work as expected.

I still consider it a bug that studio doesn't explain itself properly, but this workaround will do for now.

COMException in VS2008 Conversion Wizard

The first serious project I am undertaking in VS2008 has stalled at the first hurdle.

I am attempting to upgrade a VS2005 Solution to VS2008.

This particular solution has approximately 15 projects, with 5 being WebApps.

When I open this solution in VS2008 and allow the Wizard to do it's thing, It fails on 3 of the 5 WebProjects with COMException. and nothing else.

Not the best error information.

Any thoughts?

[Update: I just realized that I had no pointer to my eventual solution.]