LINQBridge users: is it feature-complete?

Question

For desktop programmers, do you avoid deploying .NET 3.5 framework on client machines for its big footprint? If so, is LINQBridge feature-complete?

[EDIT]

.NET 3.5 Framework evokes a feeling of OLE 2.0 (aka COM). When 2.0 newly came out, some users then are asking if there will be OLE version 3.0. But there will be none. OLE 2.0 is a solid architecture where all future improvements can be made without touching the underlying architecture.

I think the same of .NET Framework 2.0's CLR as a solid architecture, which there will be no need to change the underlying architecture to accomodate future improvements. .NET 3.5 was shipped without needing to change its underlying CLR(2.0). If Microsoft can improve .NET (5.0) without making changes to underlying architecture (CLR 2.0), it is a proof that CLR 2.0 has a sound foundation right from the start, kudos to them.

The same cannot be said of JVM, its foundation is flawed. Their generics cannot get first-class support from its VM/CLR.

That being said, .NET 3.5 is just extra libraries, where some functionalities I don't need, some I can happily swapped with(e.g. LINQBridge). The rest are just syntactic sugars(doesn't depend on 3.5). Can still continue using VS 2008, targeting .NET 2.0 (only 20 MB), yet can still get the neat features: lambda,extension methods,inferred variable,anonymous types,automatic properties,etc.

Answer 1

Sheer size? Even at 200mb, does it really matter? Put it on once and get happy.

Answer 2

I use LINQBridge because we have some PCs here that our users use that are on Win2k, so no .net 3.5 support. I find that the IEnumberable stuff is excellent, and its performance is on par with Microsoft. It is missing the entire IQueryable thing, though, and I don't think it has the XElement stuff or the LINQ-TO-SQL stuff.

Answer 3

Having to install 200mb across 500+ computers (as we would have to do here) is a royal pain.

You can use ASUS to help spam it across, but 200MB is still alot of space.

That being said, Yes. It has made us stop and re-consider whether we move to 3.5 or continue writing everything in 2.0. At this point, we are writing most things in 2.0, and we are distributing 3.5 to machines as-needed for the one-off projects where we do use 3.5 for.

When we have a good user base of 3.5 implemented and the older machines (with the smaller drives) have been replaced by attrition, then we will probably move completely to the 3.5 framework.

By then, MS will probably have 5.0, but hey.. we're moving forward. =)

As for LinqBridge... no. If I'm going to code with Linq, I'm going to do it right, not half-and-half.