Platform SDK
by Jeremy Easoz · in Technical Issues · 04/29/2003 (3:09 am) · 1 replies
Does anyone update the platform sdk?
If you do could you please tell me why,
and is it ok if I don't update it?
In the back of my mind I keep thinking
I should update it, but it makes a mess
of my harddrive hehehe.
Would I be ok without it?
If you do could you please tell me why,
and is it ok if I don't update it?
In the back of my mind I keep thinking
I should update it, but it makes a mess
of my harddrive hehehe.
Would I be ok without it?
About the author
Torque Owner Robert Hooper
Are you talking about the Torque SDK? If you are speaking of the Microsoft Platform SDK for Visual C++ development, then yes, it is generally a good idea to update that. It really depends on what level your coding is at (student, advanced, professional), what state your project is in, (in relation to shipping--don't update if you're just about to go gold!--at some point, you might want to suspend or freeze updates to maintain stability and avoid thrashing during a deadline crunch.), what other APIs you are using (3rd party compatibility), and what version of Visual C++ you are using (6 or 7). Also, you may not need everything (backoffice stuff or .NET--be careful, if you don't need it, it could create extra grief), it just depends on what you are doing, and also keep in mind that you are probably pretty safe if you keep up to date within a year or so while developing a large project or just experimenting.
The reason that this is important for anything other than student use, is that there are all kinds of bug fixes, enhancements, compatibility improvements, on and on. (Just compare the header files that came with Visual C++ 6 with the the ones in the latest Platform SDKs--they are completely different.) Also make sure that you install the service packs for your version of Visual C++, and that you keep your operating system patched through windows update, and do the necessary housekeeping on the documentation.
Most of the developers I know are pretty rigorous about this, but to be really on top of it requires an MSDN subscription. For many hobbyists, that may be too expensive and overkill.
Hope this helps.