The .NET Framework is a software development platform developed by Microsoft. It's primarily used for building and running applications on Windows. It provides a large class library known as the Base Class Library (BCL), and a runtime environment called the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which manages the execution of applications written in different programming languages.
Key components of the .NET Framework include:
Common Language Runtime (CLR):
- This is the execution engine that handles running applications. It provides important features like memory management, garbage collection, security, and exception handling.
Base Class Library (BCL):
- A collection of pre-built classes that developers can use to perform common tasks like file I/O, database access, network communications, and working with collections.
Languages:
- .NET Framework supports multiple programming languages such as C#, VB.NET, and F#.
ASP.NET:
- A framework for building dynamic web applications.
Windows Forms and WPF:
- These are frameworks used for building graphical desktop applications for Windows.
ADO.NET:
- A set of classes for data access, especially for working with databases like SQL Server.
Integration with other technologies:
- The .NET Framework supports COM Interop, web services, and XML.
.NET Framework is primarily for Windows, but Microsoft has since introduced .NET Core and .NET 5/6/7, which are cross-platform, meaning they can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. .NET Core (and its successors) has largely replaced the .NET Framework for new development, although the .NET Framework is still supported for legacy applications.