Namespaces and Classes Supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360

The .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360 implements a subset of the namespaces, types, and members available in the .NET Compact Framework. This topic discusses that subset and explains how to determine support for specific classes or members.

Determining Supported Namespaces, Types, and Members

The following methods help you determine the specific types and members that are supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360.

• The online MSDN .NET Framework Class Library documentation has been updated to show the types and members that are supported on the Xbox 360. Version information in those topics indicates XNA Framework support. Also, in the member summary pages, members supported on Xbox 360 display the 'Supported by XNA Framework' icon after the .NET Compact Framework icon .

• The Namespaces, Types, and Members topic lists the namespaces, types, and members that are supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360.

While working within an Xbox 360 project, the following methods of determining supported types and methods are available.

• IntelliSense will show only types and members that are available to Xbox 360 projects. For information about IntelliSense, see Using IntelliSense.
• You will receive compiler errors when you use unsupported types or members within an Xbox 360 project.

For code portability, you may want to use only types and members supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360, even though XNA Game Studio projects for Windows have access to the entire .NET Framework. Doing so will make it easier to create single-source applications that compile and run on both Windows and Xbox 360.

Unsupported Classes

The following sections discuss a few of the classes that are not supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360.

To determine the full set of namespaces, types, and members that are supported by the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360, see Determining Supported Namespace, Types, and Members, preceding.

To see additional members available only in the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360, see Additions to the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360

Note

The .NET Compact Framework is itself a subset of the full .NET Framework. Those differences are not described here, but you can find information in Differences with the .NET Framework.

User Interface Classes

The .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360 does not include the System.Windows.Forms namespace or any of its classes. User interface elements in an XNA game are composed of 2D or 3D graphics (or both), created using classes in the Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics Namespace namespace.

Games typically have menus and other user interface elements that are unique and customized to the game, rather than standardized versions that wouldn't adequately express the game's unique feel and flow.

Web and Network Classes

The .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360 does not include the System.Web namespace. It supports only a small subset of the System.Net namespace. See Determining Supported Namespace, Types, and Members, preceding, for information on determining that subset.

Games developed for Xbox 360 using XNA Game Studio can use the functionality provided in the Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Net namespace to create system link or Xbox LIVE multiplayer games.

See Also

Concepts

.NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360
Namespaces, Types, and Members in the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360
Additions to the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360
Differences with the .NET Framework
Using IntelliSense

Reference

Namespaces, Types, and Members in the .NET Compact Framework for Xbox 360
.NET Framework Class Library (MSDN Online)