Microsoft .Net - FAQ

1. What is Microsoft .Net?

Microsoft .NET is the latest software development platform / technology / tool from Microsoft based on the Windows operating systems. Microsoft .NETtechnology provides the ability to quickly build, deploy, manage, and use connected, security-enhanced solutions. Microsoft .NET-connected solutions enable businesses to integrate their systems more rapidly and in a better manner and help them realize the promise of information anytime, anywhere, on any device.

2. What is Microsoft .Net Framework?

The Microsoft .NET Framework is the heart and soul of the .Net platform, and is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform. It is a managed type-safe environment for application development and execution.

Principal Features of Microsoft .Net Framework

• Interoperability
• Common Runtime Engine (CLR)
• Language Independence
• Base Class Library
• Simplified Deployment
• Security
• Portability

The Microsoft .Net Framwork consists of two main components: The Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the Base Class Library (BCL).

3. What is the Microsoft .Net Common Language Runtime (CLR)?

Applications written for the Microsoft .NET Framework execute in an environment that manages the program's runtime requirements. This runtime environment, is known as the Common Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR can be thought of as the manager of your applications. It provides core services, such as code compilation, memory allocation / reallocation, thread management, garbage collection, and much more. Through the common type system (CTS), it enforces strict type-safety and ensures that code is executed in a safe environment by also enforcing code access security.

4. What is the Microsoft .Net Base Class Library (BCL)?

The Microsoft .Net Framework also consists of a library of classes (Base Class Library) which provides common functionality for programming requirements. The Base Class Library (BCL) is a standard library available to all languages using the Microsoft .NET Framework.

The BCL provides a collection of useful and reusable types (classes / objects) that are designed to integrate with the CLR. The types provided by the Microsoft .NET Framework are object-oriented and fully extensible, and they allow you to seamlessly integrate your applications with the .NET Framework.

The classes that form the framework's Base Class Library cover a large range of programming needs in areas including: user interface, file reading and writing, graphic rendering, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, web application development, web services, XML document manipulation, mobile application development, smart device applications, Class Libraries (DLLs), network communications, etc. The class library is used by programmers who combine it with their own code to develop applications.

The BCL is organized into namespaces. A namespace is a logical grouping of types that perform related functions. For example, the System.Windows.Forms namespace contains all the types that make up Windows forms and the controls used in those forms.

Namespaces are logical groupings of related classes. The namespaces in the Microsoft .NET base class library are organized hierarchically. The root of the .NET Framework is the System namespace. Other namespaces can be accessed with the period operator ( . ). A typical namespace construction appears as follows:

System
System.Data
System.Data.SQLClient
System.Windows.Forms

The namespace names are self-descriptive. Straightforward names make the Microsoft .NET Framework easy to use and allow you to rapidly familiarize yourself with its contents and classes.