Basic Question : What is .NET framework?

Once upon a time, someone asked me, a simple question but it will be as hard as a calculus problem if we don't know what to say :). What is .NET framework? simple but deadly, huh. I turned my brain on to think about the best answer for that simple question. But, I didn't think my answer quite made him satisfied. What a shame for me, I have been using the.NET framework & C# language for 8 months and I didn't fully understand what .NET framework is.

Here's some of what I quoted from wikipedia for .NET framework definition:

"The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software framework for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It includes a large library, and it supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability (each language can utilize code written in other languages.) The .NET library is available to all the programming languages that .NET supports."

So, The .NET framework is created by Microsoft, and it'll help programmer to develop application rapidly because it provide a huge library (collection of usable code) and it support for any developer that have different skill of programming language (such as: VB.NET, C#, J#, etc) so that they can still use their skill for develop an application without worries about language boundary, because .NET framework will allow them to utilize code written in other languages (language interoperability). And that .NET library is available to all programming language.

Further more from wikipedia :

"The framework's Base Class Library provides user interface, data access, database connectivity, cryptography, web application development, numeric algorithms, and network communications. The class library is used by programmers, who combine it with their own code to produce applications.

Programs written for the .NET Framework execute in a software (as contrasted to hardware) environment, known as the Common Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR is an application virtual machine so that programmers need not consider the capabilities of the specific CPU that will execute the program. The CLR also provides other important services such as security, memory management, and exception handling. The class library and the CLR together constitute the .NET Framework."

Oh.. that's the base class of that huge .NET library offers for the developers. that CLR sure have a great important role in this .NET framework. It acts as a virtual machine that the written programs are executed in.

I think that's enough for the simple definition of .NET framework, but if you still curious about .NET framework, please search in google or wikipedia for the reference.

thank you for today...

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