Visual J# 2.0 Redist Package Second Edition: Targeting Different Platforms using Visual Studio 2005

Visual J# applications were designed to be built in an “x86” only mode using Visual Studio 2005. The main reason for the same was the fact that Visual J# Redist 2.0 supported execution of J# applications natively only on 32-bit platforms. On 64-bit platforms, the Visual J# applications used to run only in the WoW mode and native 64-bit execution was not available. Now, with Visual J# Redist 2.0-Second Edition, users can build and execute Visual J# applications natively in 64-bit platforms. Users can build Visual J# applications specific to the following platform types:

· Anycpu – binaries that are platform agnostic and can run on any platform type natively

· x86 – binaries that run natively on 32-bit machine and in WoW mode on 64-bit machines

· x64 – binaries that only run natively on x64 architecture 64-bit machines

· IA64 – binaries that only run natively on Itanium architecture 64-bit machines

Here are the steps that are needed to build Visual J# applications to non-default (non x86) architecture type using Visual Studio 2005

1. Ensure that you UNINSTALL Visual J# Redist 2.0 which comes as a part of Visual Studio 2005.

2. Install Visual J# 2.0 Redistributable Package – Second Edition on the machine.

3. Make sure you are using the “Visual J# Development Settings” for Visual Studio (read more about how to change the development settings in Visual Studio at my blog post here).

4. Now, when you open any J# Project/Solution in VS2005, go to the Configuration Manager as shown below

5. This would open the Configuration Manager as below, in which you need to define a <New> Platform type as below

6. Choose any of the three settings as shown in the drop down of the new popup window

7. Let the other choices remain as-is

8. Hit OK. This would show the updated platform setting in the Configuration Manager.

9. Close the Configuration Manager

Build your Visual J# Project/Solution and you are all set.