.NET Framework Fundamentals

🎯 What is .NET Framework?

The .NET Framework is a software development framework developed by Microsoft. It provides a comprehensive and consistent programming model for building applications that can run on various platforms.

Key Components

Common Language Runtime (CLR): Execution environment
Base Class Library (BCL): Comprehensive class library
ASP.NET: Web development framework
ADO.NET: Data access technology
Windows Forms: GUI development
WPF: Advanced UI framework

Languages Supported

C# (primary language)
VB.NET
F#
C++/CLI
IronPython
IronRuby

Core Concepts

Common Language Runtime

The CLR is the virtual machine component of .NET Framework that manages execution of .NET programs. Key features:

Automatic memory management
Exception handling
Security
Thread management
Type safety

Just-In-Time Compilation

.NET uses JIT compilation to convert MSIL to machine code at runtime for optimal performance.

Hello World in C# with .NET Framework

using System;

namespace HelloWorld
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, .NET Framework!");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Framework Architecture

The .NET Framework architecture consists of multiple layers:

Operating System - Windows-based systems
Common Language Runtime - Execution engine
Base Class Library - Fundamental classes
Data & XML Classes - Data manipulation
Windows Forms/Web Forms - UI development
ASP.NET & XML Web Services - Web development
Applications - Your .NET applications

🎯 Key Benefits

Language interoperability
Automatic memory management
Rich class library
Security features
Performance optimization

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