What is .NET Framework? A Visual Definition

By: Wade Harvey

.NET Framework Definition

The .NET applications and services operate within the .NET Framework (pronounced “dot net framework”). .NET applications do not directly access the operating system. Instead, they use the .NET framework, and the .NET framework accesses the operating system and hardware. The framework consists of two components:

1. The .NET Framework Class Library, and
2. The Common Language Runtime (CLR )

The framework manages memory management, code execution, etc., and that is why .NET applications are called “managed applications.”

The Common Type System makes sure that all .NET applications use the same data types.

The Visual Basic Compiler converts the humanly readable source code into an intermediate language. This intermediate language is also called Microsoft Intermediate Language (or MSIL), and it is contained in an assembly. Assemblies have either a .exe (executable) or .dll (class library) extension. The Common Language Runtime (CLR) converts the intermediate language into the native language needed by the operating system. This is what makes .NET applications platform independent. Currently the CLR is only available on Windows Systems, but someday CLR’s could be developed of Unix and Linux. This would allow .NET applications to execute in these environments.