Beginner's experience using .NET (with C#)

[apitofme]

Re: Targeting net10.0-windows10.0.26100.1 triggers incorrect CsWinRT 3.x warning

This is someone's first impression of using .NET and Windows and it's already broken.

Can I just second this perspective, and thank @Sergio0694 for stating it -- I am literally "the guy" he's talking about!

My story in brief:

• Installed some software, liked it but ran in to some minor issue.
• Realised the project is open-source so decided to have a go and 'fix' the issue myself, which introduced me to C# for the first time.
• After some initial success my own project goals evolved leading me in to deeper technical waters...
• I leant hard on well established open-source projects (100K's global install base) that already did essentially what I am trying to replicate, as well as some AI (e.g. Copilot) and a lot of my own research to get the code to an initial 'proof of concept' state ready to compile and test.
• The result is code that should work, but due to package/SDK version conflicts and mis-matches the project won't even compile!

This isn't a code error this is a tooling issue! -- I could fully except my own ineptitude when it comes to the coding side, but for the tooling side to be the point of failure... well.

I had never used dotNet before this and already my two biggest lessons are:

1. The package system is a minefield that absolutely will trip you up, and there (it seems) no maps.
2. The constantly 'evolving' standards mean that even the basic syntax for a csproj file has changed often enough that existing advice/examples sourced from typical 'go-to' sites and services (e.g. SO, AI, blogs and teaching references) can be completely wrong.

For a new-comer this means that the hardest part isn't learning a new programming language but trying to navigate an inconsistent and seemingly internally conflicted eco-system! -- I have never had this degree of trouble with JavaScript (n0de) or Python, both of which have massive well-established package ecosystems.

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For context:

.NET SDK:
Version: 10.0.300
Commit: caa81fa497
Workload version: 10.0.300-manifests.b47d7e23
MSBuild version: 18.6.3+caa81fa49

Runtime Environment:
OS Name: Windows
OS Version: 10.0.22000
OS Platform: Windows
RID: win-x64
Base Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.300\

I have following 3 packages:

• Microsoft.Windows.SDK.Contracts (v10.0.26100.1) [was v10.0.28000.1839]
• Microsoft.Windows.CsWinRT (v2.2.0)
• Microsoft.Windows.CsWin32 (v0.3.298)

I need to use P/Invoke (and SafeHandles) which initially lead me to having the following error:

• error CS0234: The type or namespace name 'Win32' does not exist in the namespace 'Windows'

Since then no matter what I try I keep banging my head on:

• error NETSDK1135 SupportedOSPlatformVersion 10.0.28000.0 cannot be higher than TargetPlatformVersion 10.0.26100.1
• error NETSDK1140 10.0.28000.0 is not a valid TargetPlatformVersion for Windows. Valid versions include: 10.0.26100.1 ...
• warning NETSDK1229 Targeting a Windows SDK version with '1' as the revision number will reference CsWinRT 3.0 ...