What You Need to Write and Run C# Code
The .NET Framework 2.0 will run on Windows
98, 2000, XP, and 2003. In order to write code using .NET, you will
need to install the .NET SDK unless you are using Windows Server
2003, which comes with the .NET Framework 1.0 and 1.1 already
installed. If you are going to work through most of the examples
in this site though, you are
going to want to install the .NET Framework 2.0 - even if you are
running Windows Server 2003, as the .NET Framework 2.0 is not
included on this server as a default.
The .NET Framework 3.0 requires either Windows XP
SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, or Windows Vista in order to run. Any
of the chapters focused on the newer .NET Framework 3.0 chapters
will then require one of these operating systems in order to
run.
Also, unless you are intending to write your
C# code using a text editor or some other third-party developer
environment, you will almost certainly also want Visual Studio
2009. The full SDK isn’t needed to run managed code, but the .NET
runtime is needed. You may find you need to distribute the .NET
run-time with your code for the benefit of those clients who do not
have it already installed.