.NET Framework 4.0 Client Profile vs .NET Framework 4.0

Straight from the Microsoft castle:

What is it: The .NET Framework 4 Client Profile is a subset of the .NET Framework 4 that is optimized for client applications. It provides functionality for most client applications, including Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and ClickOnce features.

Why: This enables faster deployment and a smaller install package for applications that target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile.

.NET Framework Client Profile:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc656912.aspx

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The client profile attempts to restrict the set of referenced assemblies to those that are only interesting to a client application. For example it won't make System.Web available by default because it is not typically valuable to client apps.

The intent is to constrain the Visual Studio experience to that which is necessary to complete your application.

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Come from Microsoft MSDN

Project Templates that Target the .NET Framework Client Profile

Several project templates in Visual Studio 2010 target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile. The following is a list of the project templates in Visual Studio 2010 that target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile by default. All other projects target the .NET Framework 4 by default.

Windows

WPF Application

WPF Browser Application

WPF Custom Control Library

WPF User Control Library

Windows Forms Application

Windows Forms Control Library

Console Application

Empty Project

Window Service

Office

All Office 2007 and Office 2010

project templates

WCF

WCF Service Library

Workflow

Activity Designer Library

Activity Library

Workflow Console Application

Visual F#

F# Application

F# Tutorial

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Kindly note the features not in the .NET Framework Client Profile.

The .NET Framework 4 Client Profile does not include the following features. You must install the .NET Framework 4 to use these features in your application:

ASP.NET

Advanced Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) functionality

.NET Framework Data Provider for Oracle

MSBuild for compiling

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