What is .NET Framework and its Components?
Microsoft .NET Framework is a platform for software development. .NET is the framework for which we develop applications.? It sits in between our application programs and operating system. Applications developed for .NET run inside .NET and are controlled by .NET. It supports both Windows and web applications. The framework provides programs enabling users to interact with one another’s systems rather than the program itself.
The .NET Framework is very similar to both languages and easy to work with while also making it easy to transfer projects to another programming platform. The biggest advantage of using the .NET Framework is its simplicity and compatibility with different programming languages.
The .NET Framework offers extensive security, enhanced usability, flexibility, and fewer problems for the network. The .NET Framework doesn’t use the Windows registry when running and installing. Rather than using the registry, the data of the software is stored in the code and accessed when it’s running.
The .NET Framework can easily integrated into multiple formats. The data can be integrated with a PC, laptop, smartphone, tablets, and more. This makes it easy to access and use the program, regardless of what hardware the user is currently on. Installation is also very easy and less problematic than other formats.
Components of .Net Framework:
The programs written in .Net framework are implemented in software environment, known as CLR, which is an application virtual machine providing vital services, like exception handling, memory and storage. Thus, .Net framework includes class library and CLR (Common Language Runtime).
These components provide multiple task such as type safety and also provide automatic memory management and also helps in threading too. These components also play a sensitive role in exception manager.
Class library:
The .Net framework class library common for all dot Net language. We can use this to develop different application such as console applications, windows and Web Forms and Web Services.
.NET Framework’s Class Library provides database connectivity, data access user interface, web application mutation web communications and numeric algorithms
Common Language Runtime (CLR):
The Common Language Runtime (CLR) is the environment where all programs in .NET are run. It provides various services, like memory management and thread management. Programs that run in the CLR need not manage memory, as it is completely taken care of by the CLR. For example, when a program needs a block of memory, CLR provides the block and releases the block when program is done with the block.
The CLR can do some of the important tasks such as load the IL code of program at runtime. Compile the IL code in native code execute and manage code enforce security and type safety helps in thread support .The code that run in CLR is called unmanaged code. There is an layer which allow both manage code and unmanaged code to interoperate with each other.
The CLR is combination of various components which provides the runtime environment and runtime services for our application. These components loads the IL code into runtime environment and runtime service for our applications.
All programs targeted to .NET are converted to MSIL (Microsoft Intermediate Language). MSIL is the output of language compilers in .NET (see figure 2). MSIL is then converted to native code by JIT (Just-in Time Compiler) of the CLR and then native code is run by CLR.