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So, since one cannot build metro style apps with F# and it isn’t possible to reference a F# library from within a metro style app, where is the place of F# in Windows 8? I mean what is its future?

Won’t F# have the same fate as Silverlight after a while? Does Microsoft have the will to develop it farther?

I know, I know I can still develop asp.net, WCF and desktop applications in F#, but the question is what are the long term plans of the Microsoft with it?

Will it perish some day, or will live forever?

Edited:
Well, I’m fine with impossibility to build metro style apps in F#. I assume that its Lightweight\Verbose syntax and the need for indentation make it difficult to write a XAML pre-processor or write a VS template. The question is, is it an experimental project aimed to take the best parts of it and include them into C#, or F# has a future in Windows eco-system?

Kate Gregory
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Stefan Fachmann
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1 Answers1

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I think your assumptions are wrong - it should be possible to reference F# library from a C# Metro-style application if you create Portable Library project in Visual Studio 11.

So, F# will definitely continue to be useful as a langauge for developing the "difficult" part of Windows application where you implement your domain model, algorithms, network communication etc.

Moreover, with projects like Pit (or commercial WebSharper), it is possible to write F# applications that will be truly portable and can run not just on Windows 8, but also on Android tablets or on the iPad as JavaScript applications.

Terrance
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Tomas Petricek
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  • I think I answered the question - there is definitely a use for F# in the future of Windows eco-system (for implementing core libraries), other eco-systems (using JavaScript) as well as server-side (Azure). F# is a fully supported Visual Studio langauge, but the team obviously has different priorities. I wouldn't be surprised if full Metro support was added in the future when there is actually a market for Windows 8 apps. – Tomas Petricek Mar 02 '12 at 12:28
  • **EDIT:** Oops, the comment I was answering to just disappeared... – Tomas Petricek Mar 02 '12 at 12:28
  • yep, things disappear or are closed because of being not constructive, whatever that means.:) ridiculous.:) – Stefan Fachmann Mar 02 '12 at 16:25
  • @StefanFachmann I voted to close the question as not constructive, because it was based on false assumption. When I started explaining that in a comment, I realized that it should be probably explained properly, so that's a reason why I posted a detailed answer. – Tomas Petricek Mar 02 '12 at 18:47
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    @TomasPetricek .. and that is how closing questions is abused on SO. It was a valid question that needed answering. Good answer though. – Robert Jeppesen Mar 02 '12 at 21:42
  • @RobertJeppesen That's a problem... I wouldn't (of course) close it if I answered it first. I still think it wasn't a valid question (as stated), but if it was simply closed, it would appear as if the community agreed with the false assumptions in the question. Not sure what is the right thing to do... Edit the question, perhaps? – Tomas Petricek Mar 04 '12 at 02:42
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    Portable Libraries aren't really portable. They don't work with Windows Phone, nor with any C# Portable Library that works with Windows Phone. You also can't write or reference any Windows Store App libraries from an F# Portable Library, which *really* limits what F# is useful for. – Rei Miyasaka Nov 13 '12 at 20:39