I just wanted to know how to make my program working with Autocad releases 2012 or before, when I build the program to have the .dll file to send to friends to use ?
Sometimes the quality of the software can turn friends into enemies...
Therefore qualitatively test your code before giving it to your friends.
AutoCAD 2009 and newer versions are interesting for me. Therefore usually I compile the same code sources for AutoCAD 2009, 2013 and 2015. These assemblies can be loaded successfully in any AutoCAD newer than 2008. Thus it is necessary to create three projects in a solution. One of them has original code source files, other two projects has the links to these code source files. Three projects is not a problem. But I want to test my code, because quality my software is important for me. So, it is necessary to add three additional projects with unit tests.
But can I be 100% sure what my code will works fine in AutoCAD 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016 without testing in these AutoCAD versions? No, I can't and nobody can't. Therefore it is necessary to create the testing projects for each AutoCAD newer than 2008. At this case my projects count is 3 + 8 = 11. Oh, it is big count... if it is required copy these projects to other computer, which has own locations of SDK (not the same like mine), then I must update all referenses of SDK manually. It is tiresome operation. Of course, as the decission of this problem it is possible to store local copies of the necessary DLL SDK files in each project: at this case your project will be portable [between computers].
I want to have two projects only [an extension and its unit tests] and compile it for all necessary AutoCAD versions through "a single click of mouse". I want to have opportunity of debugging [breackpoints, etc] my code in any AutoCAD version newer than 2008 and quickly switching between them. Also, compilation result must to have a "magic button" for my tests launching in each AutoCAD version [on the local or remote machine] and getting the testing results (summary and individually) in HTML format. Besides, I want to have opportunity to compile and launch unit tests without any changes for different Testing Frameworks: Gallio and NUnit.
Should I download the ObjectARX 2012 and make a reference to them to be able to run the program on older releases than Acad 2012 ?
Would the Framework number should be changed accordingly ?
Each AutoCAD has own SDK version and target .NET Framework. About compatibility of AutoCAD and .Net Framework versions you can read
here (you can translate it Russian to English through any online translator). SDK old versions you can download
here. Last three versions SDK you can
download from the Autodesk site. Often your extensions can be launched in other AutoCAD versions which can use the same .NET Framework version. For example, my extensions which are compiled for AutoCAD 2009 work fine for AutoCAD 2010, 2011 and 2012 (the same DLL file). Big changes was done in AutoCAD 2013.
Advice: be not lazy for reading the
documentation and using of Google before your questions asking.