Developer tools provider RedGate has released the next version of its Reflector software. Reflector is a tool which decompiles closed-source .NET assemblies so that developers may investigate their internal workings. It is useful when working with libraries that are pre-compiled and identifying issues that may arise from that.
This is the first release of Reflector that will not also come with a free edition. RedGate caused widespread community outrage when it announced the change to $35 licenses. RedGate had previously agreed to take on the project from its community developer Lutz Roeder after he felt he could not continue to maintain it.
Whether Reflector 7's features sufficiently differentiate it from it's competitors and free alternatives remains to be seen. Developers using Reflector 6 will soon be faced with either paying for the upgrade or going somewhere else, as the software is set to expire after the new release.
RedGate's competitors have certainly upped their game - JetBrains have announced that their competitive product will have a free edition in it's next release. We will find out soon enough whether they can entice users, and particularly corporates, away from Reflector 7.
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