Why won't my Website Project adapt to .NET 3.5?

Question

We've converted our solution from .NET 2.0 to .NET 3.5. All projects converted just fine except for the Website Project, which still doesn't understand what I mean when using 'var' and the like.

I've looked in the property pages for the web project, and the Target Framework is set to '.NET Framework 3.5'.

Any other ideas?

Answer 1

By default, a new web app in 3.5 has the following References:

• System System.Configuration
• System.Core
• System.Data
• System.Data.DataSetExtensions
• System.Drawing
• System.EnterpriseServices
• System.Web
• System.WebExtensions
• System.Web.Mobile
• System.Web.Services
• System.Xml
• System.Xml.Linq

in addition, in the web.config file, you'll find the following assembly information near the top of your web.config file:

    <assemblies>
      <add assembly="System.Core, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
      <add assembly="System.Data.DataSetExtensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
      <add assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
      <add assembly="System.Xml.Linq, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089"/>
    </assemblies>

and you will also find the runtime assembly binding found at the bottom of the file:

   <runtime>
      <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
        <dependentAssembly>
          <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
          <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/>
        </dependentAssembly>
        <dependentAssembly>
          <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Extensions.Design" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"/>
          <bindingRedirect oldVersion="1.0.0.0-1.1.0.0" newVersion="3.5.0.0"/>
        </dependentAssembly>
      </assemblyBinding>
    </runtime>

I'm wagering that not having all of these references is causing issues with your var declarations. Verify all of these contents were properly added/created.

Answer 2

Add the following to web.config:

  <system.codedom>
    <compilers>
      <compiler language="c#;cs;csharp" extension=".cs" warningLevel="4"
                type="Microsoft.CSharp.CSharpCodeProvider, System, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">
        <providerOption name="CompilerVersion" value="v3.5"/>
        <providerOption name="WarnAsError" value="false"/>
      </compiler>
    </compilers>
  </system.codedom>