Lecture 1: .

NET Framework: Overview of the framework

.NET Framework (pronounced as "dot net") is a software framework developed by Microsoft

that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large class library (a library is a

collection of non-volatile resources used by computer programs, often for software development.

These may include configuration data, documentation, help data, message templates, pre-written

code and subroutines, classes, values or type specifications.) named as Framework Class Library

(FCL) and provides language interoperability (each language can use code written in other

languages) across several programming languages. Programs written for .NET Framework

execute in a software environment (in contrast to a hardware environment) named the Common

Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR is an application virtual machine that provides services

such as security, memory management, and exception handling. As such, computer code written

using .NET Framework is called "managed code". FCL and CLR together constitute the .NET

Framework.

NET Framework

.NET is a framework to develop software applications. It is designed and developed by Microsoft

and the first beta version released in 2000.

It is used to develop applications for web, Windows, phone. Moreover, it provides a broad
range of functionalities and support.

This framework contains a large number of class libraries known as Framework Class Library
(FCL). The software programs written in .NET are executed in the execution environment, which
is called CLR (Common Language Runtime). These are the core and essential parts of the
.NET framework.
This framework provides various services like memory management, networking,
security, memory management, and type-safety.

The .Net Framework supports more than 60 programming languages such as C#, F#,
VB.NET, J#, VC++, JScript.NET, APL, COBOL, Perl, Oberon, ML, Pascal, Eiffel, Smalltalk,
Python, Cobra, ADA, etc.

Following is the .NET framework Stack that shows the modules and components of the
Framework.

The .NET Framework is composed of four main components:

1. Common Language Runtime (CLR)

2. Framework Class Library (FCL),

3. Core Languages (WinForms, ASP.NET, and ADO.NET), and

4. Other Modules (WCF, WPF, WF, Card Space, LINQ, Entity Framework, Parallel
LINQ, Task Parallel Library, etc.)

CLR (Common Language Runtime)

It is a program execution engine that loads and executes the program. It converts the program
into native code. It acts as an interface between the framework and operating system. It does
exception handling, memory management, and garbage collection. Moreover, it provides
security, type-safety, interoperability, and portablility. A list of CLR components are given
below:

FCL (Framework Class Library)

It is a standard library that is a collection of thousands of classes and used to build an

application. The BCL (Base Class Library) is the core of the FCL and provides basic
functionalities.
WinForms

Windows Forms is a smart client technology for the .NET Framework, a set of managed
libraries that simplify common application tasks such as reading and writing to the file system.

ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a web framework designed and developed by Microsoft. It is used to develop

websites, web applications, and web services. It provides a fantastic integration of HTML,
CSS, and JavaScript. It was first released in January 2002.

ADO.NET

ADO.NET is a module of .Net Framework, which is used to establish a connection between

application and data sources. Data sources can be such as SQL Server and XML. ADO
.NET consists of classes that can be used to connect, retrieve, insert, and delete data.

WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a graphical subsystem by Microsoft for rendering

user interfaces in Windows-based applications. WPF, previously known as "Avalon", was
initially released as part of .NET Framework 3.0 in 2006. WPF uses DirectX.

WCF (Windows Communication Foundation)

It is a framework for building service-oriented applications. Using WCF, you can send data as
asynchronous messages from one service endpoint to another.

WF (Workflow Foundation)

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) is a Microsoft technology that provides an API, an in-
process workflow engine, and a rehostable designer to implement long-running processes as
workflows within .NET applications.

LINQ (Language Integrated Query)

It is a query language, introduced in .NET 3.5 framework. It is used to make the query for
data sources with C# or Visual Basics programming languages.

Entity Framework

It is an ORM based open source framework which is used to work with a database using
.NET objects. It eliminates a lot of developers effort to handle the database. It is Microsoft's
recommended technology to deal with the database.

Parallel LINQ

Parallel LINQ or PLINQ is a parallel implementation of LINQ to objects. It combines

the simplicity and readability of LINQ and provides the power of parallel programming.

It can improve and provide fast speed to execute the LINQ query by using all available computer
capabilities.

Apart from the above features and libraries, .NET includes other APIs and Model to improve and
enhance the .NET framework.

In 2015, Task parallel and Task parallel libraries were added. In .NET 4.5, a task-based
asynchronous model was added.

Advantages of dot NET

So far, we’ve talked in general terms about how great .NET is, but we haven’t said much about
how it helps to make your life as a developer easier. This section briefly identifies some of
the improved features of .NET.

➤ Object-oriented programming — Both the .NET Framework and C# are entirely based
on objectoriented principles right from the start.

➤ Good design — A base class library, which is designed from the ground up in a highly
intuitive way.
➤ Language independence — With .NET, all of the languages — Visual Basic, C#, and
managed C++ — compile to a common Intermediate Language. This means that languages are
interoperable in a way that has not been seen before.

➤ Better support for dynamic web pages — Though Classic ASP offered a lot of flexibility, it
was also inefficient because of its use of interpreted scripting languages, and the lack of object-
oriented design often resulted in messy ASP code. .NET offers an integrated support for web
pages, using ASP. NET. With ASP.NET, code in your pages is compiled and may be written in a
.NET-aware high-level language such as C# or Visual Basic 2010. .NET now takes it even
further with outstanding support for the latest web technologies such as Ajax and jQuery.

➤ Efficient data access — A set of .NET components, collectively known as ADO.NET,

provides efficient access to relational databases and a variety of data sources. Components are
also available to allow access to the file system, and to directories. In particular, XML support
is built into .NET, allowing you to manipulate data, which may be imported from or exported to
non-Windows platforms.

➢
Code sharing — .NET has completely revamped the way that code is shared
between applications, introducing the concept of the assembly, which replaces the
traditional DLL. Assemblies have formal facilities for versioning, and different
versions of assemblies can exist side by side.

➤ Improved security — Each assembly can also contain built-in security information that can
indicate precisely who or what category of user or process is allowed to call which methods on
which classes. This gives you a very fine degree of control over how the assemblies that you
deploy can be used.

➤ Zero-impact installation — There are two types of assemblies: shared and private. Shared
assemblies are common libraries available to all software, whereas private assemblies are
intended only for use with particular software. A private assembly is entirely self-contained, so
the process of installing it is simple. There are no registry entries; the appropriate files are simply
placed in the appropriate folder in the file system.

➤ Support for Web services — .NET has fully integrated support for developing Web services
as easily as you would develop any other type of application.

➤ Visual Studio 2010 — .NET comes with a developer environment, Visual Studio 2010,
which can cope equally well with C++, C#, and Visual Basic 2010, as well as with ASP.NET or
XML code. Visual Studio 2010 integrates all the best features of the respective language-
specific environments of all the previous versions of this amazing IDE.

➤ C# — C# is a powerful and popular object-oriented language intended for use with .NET
Practical Lesson
Using the provided reference book on .net architecture, perform the following
1. Installing and getting started with Visual Studio 2010 – page 435
2. Creating and running your first application
3. Debugging and deploying an application
4. Create windows Forms (Assignment)