dotnet / dotnet/runtime

Remove support for `rollForwardOnNoCandidateFx` and `applyPatches`

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#131,611 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
area-Host breaking-change needs-breaking-change-doc-created
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C#
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Description

`rollForwardOnNoCandidateFx` and `applyPatches` have not been the recommended way to configure framework resolution since .NET 3.0. We kept them for backwards compatibility, but it has been enough releases that we should remove support for them. Same with the equivalent command line and environment variable options for `rollForwardOnNoCandidateFx` (`applyPatches` is runtime config only).

`rollForwardOnNoCandidateFx` values directly map to `rollForward`:
- `0` -> `LatestPatch`
- `1` -> `Minor`
- `2` -> `Major`

`applyPatches` has no direct equivalent, but the default (true) remains the default behaviour - using latest patches is recommended. If an exact version is desired, use `rollForward` value `Disable`.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Search the runtime's framework-resolution handling for rollForwardOnNoCandidateFx and applyPatches, including runtime config, command-line, and environment-variable entry points. Verify how the legacy values map to rollForward, then run the relevant resolution tests if found. Done means the old options are rejected or ignored as intended while rollForward behavior and latest-patch defaults remain unchanged.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
csharp
Domain
backend
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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