.netvisual-studioarmportwindows-rt

Port .NET Win32 to Windows RT


I would like to know if a .NET Win32 app can be compiled to ARM with VS 2015 Community (or any other version).

I have seen, and tested, that Visual C++ Win32 apps can be compiled to ARM and run on Windows 8.1 RT (Jailbreaked device), but I would like to port an open source .NET app to ARM, currently VS just allow me to compile it on x86/64.

Any idea if this is possible? If it is, how to enabled the ARM target for .NET Win32 projects?

Thanks!


Solution

  • Well, after some researchs. I have created a .NET proyect on VS 2015, target AnyCPU, move into my Surface RT (ARM) and It was my surprise, the .NET app (just a simple view app) run!!

    Seems like, VS for .NET apps, create a BitCode file, not a native one, so the BitCode exe file will run over .NET machine adapting to necesaty target, like java works.

    While Visual C++ apps need to compile to specific target, ARM, x86 or x64, because it will create a native exe for this especific target, .NET apps are not a native exe, are bitcode, so this bitcode app will be interpretate by the .NET framework on runtime.

    I hope this can be usefull for more people.

    Thanks!