Build Configuration: Mixed Platform VS Any CPU

Question

What\'s the difference between different Build Configuration settings e.g. Any CPU, Mixed Platform, WIN32 etc in Visual Studio.

Answer 1

Here's a link that helps explain the build configuration setting found in Visual Studio and its build files:

http://web.archive.org/web/20151215192101/http://visualstudiohacks.com/articles/visual-studio-net-platform-target-explained/

Basically the setting states what platform the assembly is able to run on. When AnyCPU is selected, the resultant DLL is marked as able to run anywhere; when x86 is selected, the resultant DLL is marked as only being able to run on 32-bit systems and will not run in 64-bit applications or processes (but will run in 64-bit Windows;) and so on and so forth.

This just sets flags on the compiled DLL - it does not change other aspects of compilation process at all.