What is the .NET Framework? - Application Development in .NET
(Page 5 of 6 )
.NET has brought a set of new features which are to be understood by every programmer developing applications for Windows. There is no way any Windows programmer can ignore .NET, unless he is desperate to be outdated. Microsoft will provide .NET as part of its operating systems in future releases. It is the platform for programmers. It is not new OS from Microsoft or a new language. It is the environment for which you develop applications. It is rich in terms of features. Believe me, programming using VB.NET is fun and it is more productive than VB 6.0.
The following are different types of applications that can be developed in .NET:
Windows applications – typical Client/Server applications.
Web applications – Web sites and Intranet applications.
Web services – Programs that are accessible from anywhere using universal protocols like HTTP and SOAP.
Console Applications – Simple console based applications without any GUI. Run from command prompt. Best suited to learn fundamentals and also for applications such as server sockets.
Mobile Applications – Contain web pages that run in mobile devices such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) and Cell phones.
Though .NET supports many languages, I believe only two languages will dominate programming in .NET: VB.NET and C#.
VB.NET is the successor to VB 6.0, but language wise, it was modified substantially as it became complete OOPL – no more "object-based language."
C# resembles Java. Though Microsoft claims, C# resembles C++, but let's face it: it resembles Java more than C++.
Next: Visual Studio.NET >>
More .NET Articles
More By Niranjan Babu Kalla
