-netcf

Sets the compiler to target the .NET Compact Framework.

Syntax

-netcf

Remarks

The -netcf option causes the Visual Basic compiler to target the .NET Compact Framework rather than the full .NET Framework. Language functionality that is present only in the full .NET Framework is disabled.

The -netcf option is designed to be used with -sdkpath. The language features disabled by -netcf are the same language features not present in the files targeted with -sdkpath.

The -netcf option changes the following language features:

• The End <keyword> Statement keyword, which terminates execution of a program, is disabled. The following program compiles and runs without -netcf but fails at compile time with -netcf.

  Module Module1
      Sub Main()
          End   ' not valid to terminate execution with /netcf
      End Sub
  End Module
  

• Late binding, in all forms, is disabled. Compile-time errors are generated when recognized late-binding scenarios are encountered. The following program compiles and runs without -netcf but fails at compile time with -netcf.

  Class LateBoundClass
      Sub S1()
      End Sub
  
      Default Property P1(ByVal s As String) As Integer
          Get
          End Get
          Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
          End Set
      End Property
  End Class
  
  Module Module1
      Sub Main()
          Dim o1 As Object
          Dim o2 As Object
          Dim o3 As Object
          Dim IntArr(3) As Integer
  
          o1 = New LateBoundClass
          o2 = 1
          o3 = IntArr
  
          ' Late-bound calls
          o1.S1()
          o1.P1("member") = 1
  
          ' Dictionary member access
          o1!member = 1
  
          ' Late-bound overload resolution
          LateBoundSub(o2)
  
          ' Late-bound array
          o3(1) = 1
      End Sub
  
      Sub LateBoundSub(ByVal n As Integer)
      End Sub
  
      Sub LateBoundSub(ByVal s As String)
      End Sub
  End Module
  

• The Auto, Ansi, and Unicode modifiers are disabled. The syntax of the Declare Statement is also modified to Declare Sub|Function name Lib "library" [Alias "alias"] [([arglist])]. The following code shows the effect of -netcf on a compilation.

  ' compile with: /target:library
  Module Module1
      ' valid with or without /netcf
      Declare Sub DllSub Lib "SomeLib.dll" ()
  
      ' not valid with /netcf
      Declare Auto Sub DllSub1 Lib "SomeLib.dll" ()
      Declare Ansi Sub DllSub2 Lib "SomeLib.dll" ()
      Declare Unicode Sub DllSub3 Lib "SomeLib.dll" ()
  End Module
  

• Using Visual Basic 6.0 keywords that were removed from Visual Basic generates a different error when -netcf is used. This affects the error messages for the following keywords:

  • Open

  • Close

  • Put

  • Print

  • Write

  • Input

  • Lock

  • Unlock

  • Seek

  • Width

  • Name

  • FreeFile

  • EOF

  • Loc

  • LOF

  • Line

Example

The following code compiles Myfile.vb with the .NET Compact Framework, using the versions of mscorlib.dll and Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll found in the default installation directory of the .NET Compact Framework on the C drive. Typically, you would use the most recent version of the .NET Compact Framework.

vbc -netcf -sdkpath:"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\CompactFrameworkSDK\v1.0.5000\Windows CE " myfile.vb

See also

• Visual Basic Command-Line Compiler
• Sample Compilation Command Lines
• -sdkpath