can we convert C# 3.0 to C#2.0?

Question

A couple of years ago programmers wrote an application in C#3.0. Recently we decided to reuse these code and try to plug it into a .net Windows applications in C# 2.0. Is it feasible to do this?

Thank you for any info you provide?

Sean

Answer 1

It depends to what extent the C# 3.0 application made use of features that were introduced in that version of the language. 

If the application made heavy use of these features (notably LINQ), then it will probably be impractical to translate it to C# 2.0 and the only sensible option would be to start again.

Apart from that, a translation should be feasible as C# 3.0 is backwards compatible with C# 2.0.

For a list of the stuff that was introduced in C# 3.0, see here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb308966.aspx 

Answer 2

You should be able to reuse a lot of it with some simple modifications.

For example:

Implicitly typed variables - just replace 'var' with the actual type.

Lambda expressions - replace with anonymous methods which were introduced in C# 2.0.

Object and collection initializers  - should be simple to rewrite.

However, anything to do with LINQ (to objects, XML or SQL) will need to be rewritten using 'traditional' code  - there's no other way.

Answer 3

Hi Vulpes: Thanks for your info. The application (I believe it was coded in 3.0)made use of Implicitly local variables, Lambda expressions, delegate Type, et. It didn't work properly in .NET 2.0 run time. Should we modify or start the scrach in C#2.0?