Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version or Profile

In Visual Studio, you can specify the version or profile of the .NET Framework that you want your project to target. For an application to run on another computer, the Framework version that the application targets must be compatible with the Framework version that is installed on the computer.

A .NET Framework profile is a subset of the .NET Framework that provides a limited set of libraries and features. An example of a Framework profile is a client profile that can be used for creating client applications. Applications that target a profile can run on the corresponding full Framework. For example, an application that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile can run on a computer that has the .NET Framework 4 installed. For more information about the Client Profile, see .NET Framework Client Profile.

This section contains topics that describe how to target specific versions of the .NET Framework in your projects.

In This Section

• Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview
  Provides an overview of the new multi-targeting features in Visual Studio.

• How to: Target a Specific .NET Framework Version or Profile
  Details how to specify a particular .NET Framework for your project.

• Troubleshooting .NET Framework Targeting Errors
  Describes the errors and warnings that may occur when you target the .NET Framework Client Profile.

Related Sections

• What's New in Visual Studio 2010
  Describes new and changed features in this version of Visual Studio.

• .NET Framework Multi-Targeting for ASP.NET Web Projects
  Explains how to use this version of Visual Studio to develop Web applications that run under earlier versions of the .NET Framework.

• .NET Framework Client Profile
  Contains information about the .NET Framework Client Profile, which is a subset of the full .NET Framework library.

• Managing Solutions, Projects, and Files
  Contains information about the best ways to create and manage solutions and projects. Also contains information about miscellaneous files, and storage-based and reference-based projects.

• Application Page, Project Designer (C#)
  Describes the Target Framework control in the Project Designer for Visual C# projects.

• Advanced Compiler Settings Dialog Box (Visual Basic)
  Describes the Target Framework control in the Project Designer for Visual Basic projects.