Overview of DotNet
Microsoft started development on the .NET Framework in the late 1990s originally under the name of Next Generation Windows Services (NGWS). By late 2000 the first beta versions of .NET 1.0 were released
Version 3.0 of the .NET Framework is included with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista. Version 3.5 is included with Windows 7, and can also be installed on Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 family of operating systems On April 12, 2010, .NET Framework 4 was released alongside Visual Studio 2010.
NET Framework
The .NET Framework (pronounced dot net) is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages
which allows language interoperability (each language can use code
written in other languages). Programs written for the .NET Framework
execute in a software environment (as contrasted to hardware environment), known as the Common Language Runtime (CLR), an application virtual machine that provides important services such as security, memory management, and exception handling. The class library and the CLR together constitute the .NET Framework.
The .NET Framework's Base Class Library provides user interface, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, web application development, numeric algorithms, and network communications. Programmers produce software by combining their own source code with the .NET Framework and other libraries. The .NET Framework is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform. Microsoft also produces a popular integrated development environment largely for .NET software called Visual Studio.
.NET includes new object-oriented programming languages such as C#, Visual Basic .NET, J# (a Java clone) and Managed C++. These languages, plus other experimental languages like F#, all compile to the Common Language Specification and can work together in the same application.
Microsoft started development on the .NET Framework in the late 1990s originally under the name of Next Generation Windows Services (NGWS). By late 2000 the first beta versions of .NET 1.0 were released
Version 3.0 of the .NET Framework is included with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista. Version 3.5 is included with Windows 7, and can also be installed on Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 family of operating systems On April 12, 2010, .NET Framework 4 was released alongside Visual Studio 2010.
| Version | Version Number | Release Date | Visual Studio | Default in Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 1.0.3705.0 | 2002-02-13 | Visual Studio .NET | Windows XP Tablet and Media Center Editions |
| 1.1 | 1.1.4322.573 | 2003-04-24 | Visual Studio .NET 2003 | Windows Server 2003 |
| 2.0 | 2.0.50727.42 | 2005-11-07 | Visual Studio 2005 | Windows Server 2003 R2 |
| 3.0 | 3.0.4506.30 | 2006-11-06 | Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 | |
| 3.5 | 3.5.21022.8 | 2007-11-19 | Visual Studio 2008 | Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| 4.0 | 4.0.30319.1 | 2010-04-12 | Visual Studio 2010 | |
NET Framework
The .NET Framework's Base Class Library provides user interface, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, web application development, numeric algorithms, and network communications. Programmers produce software by combining their own source code with the .NET Framework and other libraries. The .NET Framework is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform. Microsoft also produces a popular integrated development environment largely for .NET software called Visual Studio.
What is the .NET architecture?
Microsoft .NET consists of four major components:- Common Language Specification (CLS)
- Framework Class Library (FCL)
- Common Language Runtime (CLR)
At the base of the diagram in gray is the operating system, which technically can be any platform but typically is Microsoft Windows 2000 or greater, accessed through the Win32 API (Application Programming Interface).
Common Language Specification (CLS)
The CLS is a common platform that integrates code and components from multiple .NET programming languages. In other words, a .NET application can be written in multiple programming languages with no extra work by the developer (though converting code between languages can be tricky)..NET includes new object-oriented programming languages such as C#, Visual Basic .NET, J# (a Java clone) and Managed C++. These languages, plus other experimental languages like F#, all compile to the Common Language Specification and can work together in the same application.
Framework Class Library (FCL)
The FCL is a collection of over 7000 classes and data types that enable .NET applications to read and write files, access databases, process XML, display a graphical user interface, draw graphics, use Web services, etc. The FCL wraps much of the massive, complex Win32 API into more simple .NET objects that can be used by C# and other .NET programming languages.Common Language Runtime (CLR)
The CLR is the execution engine for .NET applications and serves as the interface between .NET applications and the operating system. The CLR provides many services such as:- Loads and executes code
- Converts intermediate language to native machine code
- Separates processes and memory
- Manages memory and objects
- Enforces code and access security
- Handles exceptions
- Interfaces between managed code, COM objects, and DLLs
- Provides type-checking
- Provides code meta data (Reflection)
- Provides profiling, debugging, etc.
