A software development tool, in the form of an integrated development environment (IDE), comprises a managed platform registry for managing the combination of compatible target platforms and versions of a software development framework. Each compatible combination of a platform and a version of the software development framework is assigned a unique managed platform ID. The managed platform IDs and information associated therewith are managed by the managed platform registry. The software development tool provides upgrade capability allowing a developer to use a newer version of the software development framework while maintaining the current target platform. The software development tool also provides the ability to switch target platforms while maintaining the current version of the software development framework.