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.Net is a programming platform designed by Microsoft for software development. The framework was structured to accommodate applications for the Windows operating system. Developers have guidelines that they can use for varying applications that range from web to mobile. The platform comes with a class library called the Framework Class Library. .Net has been around for a while even though it may not dominate like other programming languages. Still, Microsoft has kept up with the needs of developers by updating the framework with features. .Net has some critical roles to play, which developers who are looking to learn the language must know. Understanding the different tenets that make up the .Net framework is paramount as well.
The architecture of the .Net framework comprises language, library and common language runtime. In languages, the platform has several categories that are suitable for building various applications.
WinForms – this tool is structured for the development of Forms-based applications. The applications can be accessed on an end-user machine like a PC.
ASP.Net – with this tool, developers can build applications for the web. It is actually the primary component for building websites and web pages. The programs can be in any of the languages, including JavaScript, CSS HTML and server scripting. An AsP.Net application needs Internet Information Services for execution.
ADO.Net – the tool is designed for database-oriented applications such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle.
Class libraries host collections of functions and methods that are suitable for different purposes. These methods are arranged in the Microsoft System or namespaces. A class library can carry out a range of functions, depending on the methods it contains. XML document manipulation, rendering graphics, database interaction, reading and writing files are some of the roles that class libraries handle. With .Net, you get two sections of the class library- the Framework Class Library (FCL) and Base Class Library (BCL).
BCL consists only a small part of the entire class library that is tasked with basic API of CLR. Besides the .Net Framework, BCL class can be found in other versions of the platform like Microsoft Silverlight, .Net Compact Framework, Mono and .Net Core. On the other hand, FCL covers the whole class of the .Net Framework. Various other sets of libraries are included in this superset, and these are ASP.Net, Windows Forms and Windows Presentation Foundation.
Also called the CLI (Common Language Interpreter), CLR is the component that handles the execution of .Net programs. The platform has several features that allow it to achieve this. It has an exception handling function, meaning that it has the ability to deal with certain errors that can occur during execution. For example, an application may try to retrieve files for a database but find out it can’t connect. CLR has a garbage collection feature, which eliminates the resources that are no longer in use like a database connection that has served its purpose.
The execution of applications is also possible because the CLR can work with several programming languages. Developers have different options when it comes to picking languages. C# and VB.Net are the most common choices of programming languages, which is the first layer. The second level is the compiler, which is specific to an individual programming language. For instance, C# will have the C# compiler. The third and final layer is the CLI, which is what makes it possible for the .Net platform to run an application in any language.
A few things may raise confusion for people who are not extensively familiar with the .Net Framework. .Net and C# are two aspects that have been a constant source of confusion. .Net has been a big part of the implementation of C# by Microsoft, which explains the difficulties experienced by some people when separating the two. The .Net Framework covers the whole Microsoft system that allows developers to create applications. C# is only one of the languages that are used in the development.
F# is also a programming language used on CLI during development. The F# Software Foundation and Microsoft created it. The language has object-oriented programming, functional and imperative methods. It is used for general purposes, including scripting, web and application programming. VB.Net and C++ are other programming languages that can be used on .Net.
Visual Studio is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that allows you to write .Net or C# programs. The platform has gained popularity among developers because it offers various features, including interface design, debugging, code editing, performance analysis and server management.
Developers who are looking to take .Net as a professional skill need formal training. It is possible to acquire a few basics of the programming language, but taking a course helps, especially if you intend to pursue .Net as a career. Luckily, developers have numerous course online and offline that they can turn to for .Net training. Courses on .Net Framework may focus more on the server-end development, but they still offer some topics about the front-end such as HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Some IT courses include .Net as a section of their coursework, but a developer may want to take specialised training. Many global companies in different sectors use .Net, so it is practical to invest in a good course.
As with other programming languages, .Net is always evolving, and any decent developer should be able to keep up. .Net online communities are some of the places where developers can learn more about the software development platform. Microsoft has a .Net Developer Community that novices will find useful. A quick search online will offer several options of quality sites where developers can ask questions, discuss different topics and stay updated on the .Net Framework.
The .Net platform has come a long way from the era of .Net 1.0. Microsoft has worked to provide more offerings on the framework, giving developers a lot more to work with. Its easy integration with Microsoft Azure has turned it into a favourite for cloud development. Developers who wish to learn or improve their .Net skills have a multitude of solutions. As a .NET developer you can join a .NET User Group to keep up-to-date and to learn from experts.
