Developing ASP.NET Web Applications - The components of the .NET Framework
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Because you should have a basic understanding of what the .NET Framework does as you develop applications, figure 1-7 summarizes its major components. As you can see, this framework is divided into two main components, the .NET Framework Class Library and the Common Language Runtime, and these components provide a common set of services for applications written in .NET languages like Visual Basic or C#.
The .NET Framework Class Library consists of classes that provide many of the functions that you need for developing .NET applications. For instance, the ASP.NET classes are used for developing ASP.NET web applications, and the Windows Forms classes are used for developing standard Windows applications. The other .NET classes let you work with databases, manage security, access files, and perform many other functions.
Although it’s not apparent in this figure, the classes in the .NET Framework Class Library are organized in a hierarchical structure. Within this structure, related classes are organized into groups called namespaces. Each namespace contains the classes used to support a particular function. For example, the System.Web namespace contains the classes used to create ASP.NET web applications, and the System.Data namespace contains the classes used to access data.
The Common Language Runtime, or CLR, provides the services that are needed for executing any application that’s developed with one of the .NET languages. This is possible because all of the .NET languages compile to a common Intermediate Language (or IL). The CLR also provides the Common Type System that defines the data types that are used by all the .NET languages. That way, you can use the same data types regardless of what .NET language you’re using to develop your application.
To run an ASP.NET application, the web server must have the .NET Framework installed. However, the client computers that access the web server don’t need the .NET Framework. Instead, the client computers can run any client operating system with a modern web browser.
The .NET Framework
Description
.NET applications work by using services of the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework, in turn, accesses the operating system and computer hardware.
The .NET Framework consists of two main components: the .NET Framework Class Library and the Common Language Runtime.
The .NET Framework Class Library provides pre-written code in the form of classes that are available to all of the .NET programming languages. These classes are organized into groups called namespaces. The classes that support ASP.NET web programs are stored in the System.Web namespace.
The Common Language Runtime, or CLR, manages the execution of .NET programs by coordinating essential functions such as memory management, code execution, security, and other services.
The Common Type System is a component of the CLR that ensures that all .NET applications use the same data types regardless of what programming languages are used to develop the applications.
All .NET programs are compiled into Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) or just Intermediate Language (IL), which is stored on disk in an assembly. This assembly is then run by the CLR.
Figure 1-7 The components of the .NET Framework
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 This article is an excerpt from chapter one of Murach's ASP.NET 3.5 Web Programming with VB 2008, written by Anne Boehm (Murach, 2008; ISBN: 1890774472). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.
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