How to Check the SDK Version in Visual Studio

As a developer, it is imperative to know the version of the software development kit (SDK) you are using in your development environment. The SDK version determines which application programming interfaces (APIs) are available to you, and it affects the compatibility of your application with different versions of the operating system. Your application might behave differently or not run at all on a newer or older version of the SDK, depending on the changes introduced in that version.

Step 1: Open Visual Studio

First, you need to open the Visual Studio Integrated Development Environment (IDE). You can do this by double-clicking on the shortcut on your desktop or searching for it in the Start menu.

Step 2: Open the Project Properties

After opening Visual Studio, you need to open the project properties. You can do this by right-clicking on the project in the Solution Explorer and selecting “Properties” from the context menu.

Step 3: Check the Target Framework

After opening the project properties, you need to check the target framework. The target framework indicates the version of the .NET Framework or .NET Core that your application is targeting. To check the target framework, go to the “Application” tab, and look for the “Target Framework” dropdown list.

If you are developing a desktop, web, mobile, or gaming application, the dropdown list may contain various options.

Step 4: Check the SDK Version

After checking the target framework, you can determine the corresponding SDK version. The SDK version is the version of the software development kit (SDK) that provides the tools, libraries, and compilers for developing applications that target the .NET Framework, .NET Core, or .NET. To check the SDK version, you need to refer to the SDK release notes or documentation.

For example, if you are targeting .NET Core 3.1, the corresponding SDK version is .NET Core SDK 3.1. To verify the SDK version, you can run the “dotnet –version” command in the command prompt or PowerShell.

Conclusion

As a developer, it is crucial to be aware of the SDK version you are using in your development environment, and with Visual Studio, checking it is simple and straightforward. By keeping your SDK version up to date, you can take advantage of the latest features and improvements, ensure compatibility with different versions of the operating system, and stay up to date with security patches and bug fixes.