I'm working on a project for a client (let's call him "Dad"), who wants an application for a 32-bit Windows XP desktop. The app requires a user interface, and I'm contemplating whether to make it a web UI, which would only need some basic HTML4 and minimal JavaScript. One of the core functionalities must include handling raw TCP/IPv4 sockets, something I'm familiar with.
My go-to languages are C++, C#, and Python, but I'm hitting some roadblocks. I started developing with C# .NET Framework 4.0, as that's the latest version supporting XP, but my IDE keeps complaining about the platform. MSVC 2022 refuses to even work with it. I could switch to C++, but then I'd likely have to use MSVC 2015 x86, which tends to slow down my development. As for Python, I'm unsure how to find a compatible version for XP. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Delphi or Pascal can also be a great choice for building an app for XP, especially for GUI work.
For GUI apps, why not check out Visual Basic? It's still a strong contender for Windows desktop applications.
Visual Basic was my first language too; great memories!
Consider developing your app using WinForms with C#. I hear Visual Studio can still handle it for older platforms. If that fails, you might find some torrents for old versions or even set up an XP VM just to get things rolling.
It's meant to manage specific hardware. I’d prefer WinForms, but MSVC 2022 isn't cooperating with Framework 4.0. I might try compiling on a newer version and then retargeting.
I'd suggest using C# with Windows Forms and targeting the .NET Framework 3.5 since that should fully support Windows XP. It's the last stable version before they started dropping support for it.
Actually, .NET 4.0.3 is the last known version for XP, but not many are aware of it. Good luck getting any useful support from Microsoft on that!
Connecting an XP machine to the internet is pretty risky these days. If this app is meant for a secure environment, it shouldn’t have internet access and instead run on an isolated network.
You’re right! Networking an XP machine poses significant risks, especially with no support updates since 2014.
I appreciate the suggestion, but I’m not that desperate yet!