Microsoft plans to release .NET 3.5 Source Code!
In a surprising move this past month, Microsoft has finalized plans to release the source code for the popular .NET 3.5 framework. Apart from providing better debugging for Visual Studio users, does this move signify that Microsoft is adapting to the open source community? The source code will be released under Microsoft’s own ISO-approved license, called the Microsoft Reference License. While the license does not provide end-users with terms nearly as liberal as that of the zlib or bsd license(s), it does allow for unlimited access to the source code.
I raise the question to how this release will effect other .NET projects, such as the cross-platform Mono framework. Will the release of the “official” code aid Mono developers in their development? Better yet, will Microsoft be finally willing to collaborate with Novell and other companies supporting the Mono project? I seriously hope that this in store for the future. A C++ advocate myself, I find that the C# language offers nice similarities with the addition of powerful libraries on the front-end. On the other hand, I currently find the .NET platform fairly limiting due to its “Windows-only” nature. Maybe this will change in the future, but until then .NET will continue to suffer from professional developer support. Having said that, IMO, Microsoft has gone one more step in the right direction with the release of the source code. I just can’t wait to get my hands on it, when it does become available. 