ASP.NET Basics (part 1): Nothing But .Net - Building Blocks (Page 3 of 8 )
.NET consists of a number of different subcomponents - base classes, operating system services, XML-based Web services, development tools - all conspiring and connecting with each other to create a common interface for software development. Using XML as the common language, .NET applications can run on a variety of different hardware and software configurations, and use a client-server paradigm to transfer data, execute tasks and communicate with each other in a Web environment.
Of the large number of subcomponents that make up the .NET universe, the one most relevant to this tutorial is the .NET Framework, which consists of the development tools and libraries needed to build .NET applications. This .NET Framework consists of two primary pieces:
1. The .NET Framework classes, which provide a reusable code library that serves as the foundation for .NET development. These classes are designed to speed up development and deployment of .NET applications by providing reliable, well-tested base functions that all applications require - user interface components, input controls, a security and authentication framework, and so on.
2. The Common Language Runtime (CLR), which provides a unified runtime environment for .NET applications. The CLR makes it possible to execute .NET applications written in a variety of different languages (including Visual Basic.NET, JScript.NET and C#) and internally takes care of many of the common headaches C programmers are always concerned about - data typing, memory management, exception handling - so as to improve the developer experience without tying a programmer to a particular language (Java programmers might find this somewhat familiar).
ASP.NET falls into the first piece of the .NET Framework, providing all the common functions (HTTP transaction management, Web forms and form processing, database access) needed by a typical Web-based application.
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