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What is NetFx, in the context of the Windows SDK? What differentiates NetFx tools from the tools in the regular SDK bin directory?

I noticed that the version of sgen.exe in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0A\bin\ was built against .NET 2.0, but the version in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\ was built against .NET 4.0.


Update: After a little more searching I found hints that NetFx is the "new" name for WinFx, which was originally a branding intended to convey ".NET with some extra stuff".

http://blogs.msdn.com/ianm/archive/2006/04/19/578851.aspx

http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Duncanma/Jason-Zander-on-the-WinFX-to-NET-FX-30-rename/

Is this right?

Mister_Tom
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sourcenouveau
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    It's just more of the same ill-advised marketing-speak from the Microsoft marketing department. The term .NET confused people for years because Microsoft couldn't figure out what it really meant. They were attaching the term to every product under the sun (Microsoft .NET Server, for example. WTF is that?), before they settled on its current meaning. – Robert Harvey Apr 30 '10 at 19:04
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    they actually never released "Microsoft .NET Server". They were going to call "Windows Server 2000" " Windows Server.NET" but decided against it – Matthew Joughin May 09 '20 at 11:06

1 Answers1

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NetFx is apparently just shorthand for "Microsoft .NET Framework."

Jess
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Robert Harvey
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