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.NET Versions: EF4 with Visual Studio 2008

So can you use EF v4.0 with .NET 3.5 in Visual Studio 2008?

Short answer, No!

Longer answer... is still no, but lets go through the reasons it is so;

Similar to, that you can't use C# v2.0 features without at least VS 2005 and you can't use C# v3.0 features without VS 2008; it is that you cannot use EF v4.0 in VS2008.

Still a 'why'? Follow on...

Because EF v4.0 requires .NET v4.0(that is, 4.0.30319.1 to be exact - stable release out in the market, approximately 38 days ago); which means EF v4.0 is actually a part of .NET v4.0 - And, 3.5 uses CLR v2.0 while 4.0 uses CLR v4.0.

Among its many new improvements, Visual Studio 2010 introduces the much-awaited Entity Framework 4.0 and WCF Data Services 4.0 (formerly ADO.NET Data Services), which together simplify how you model, consume and produce data.

So to conclude: This means,
  • .NET v1.0 was used with VS2002 having C# v1.0
  • .NET v1.1 - VS2003
  • .NET v2.0 - VS2005 - C# v2.0
  • .NET v3.0 - Useable in VS2005
  • .NET v3.5 - Visual Studio 2008 having C# v3.0
  • .NET v4.0 - Visual Studio 2010 with C# v4.0

And according to Jon Skeet on SO, C# v5.0 contains major new speculated features such as Meta Programming.

If this makes you interested more in v4.0, checkout what's new in the latest .NET Framework.


References:
1. C# Indepth by Jon Skeet: http://csharpindepth.com/Articles/Chapter1/Versions.aspx
2. .NET Frameworks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework
3. Microsoft .NET Framework: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/default.aspx
4. .NET Framework Evolution Map: http://bloggingabout.net/blogs/fernando/archive/2009/01/11/net-framework-release-map.aspx