[fpc-devel] Excellent work you guys have done

[Michael Schnell]

> ... but Microsoft controls the features.
>   
Of course you are right that they defined what features are in each 
upgrade version of the CIL framework and libraries provided and the 
other framework constructors are likely to follow them. But for 
developing software that is to run in the framework, you don't need to 
use the features of any given upgrade. Software developed using (a 
development tool that supports) a given subset of the features will run 
on all framework implementations that (in a decent way) offer this 
subset. The developer is free to decide if the additional features of 
the current version of some CIL framework supplier's offer are 
interesting enough to have his product restricted to a subset of the 
available frameworks. (Similar: if you decently use the numerical key 
pad or the LPT port in your software, your product is limited to run on 
those PCs that offer these features.)

-Michael