Introducing C# and the .NET Framework - The .NET Framework
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A Framework is a set of class libraries that provide the developers with the common system functions and services that can be used by a programming language. But the .NET Framework extends this concept. The .NET Framework is a large set of class libraries that can be used for many programming languages, like Microsoft's C#, Visual Basic, Managed C++ and more. So the first thing you notice here is that the .NET Framework class libraries can be used for more than one programming language (we will understand this more when I get to CTS and CLS).
Besides the Class Libraries, the Framework provides a Common Language Runtime (CLR) that manages the execution of any .NET application written in it using a .NET programming language. Simply put, the .NET Framework consists of Class Library that provides the common system services and functions that you will use and extend in your applications, and an Execution Environment that manages .NET Applications. The functionality provided by the Class Library will help you to develop Windows applications, Web applications, distributed applications and even let you integrate XML and XML Web services into your applications.
The .NET Framework Class Library is written by Microsoft and it's very easy to use. For example, if you want to write a line to the console, you will use a method called WriteLine() of the Console class and pass to the method a string that you want to be written to the console. You have classes for almost everything you will need to do, such as: text manipulation, threading manipulation, XML handling, I/O, GUI controls for Windows and Web applications, database access presented as ADO.NET and Enterprise Services functionality.
It's important to note that C# is not part of the .NET Framework. C# is an Object Oriented programming language of its own, and it has its own syntax, control structures and construction building statements. At the same time, it has been created to be used with the .NET Framework, and the C# compiler generates code that runs under the .NET Environment. This code is called Managed code because it's managed by the Common Language Runtime Environment. In other words, Microsoft designed C# to be the core programming language of the .NET platform and to use, leverage and extend the .NET Framework class library.
I know that you now have many questions to ask, such as "How is it that all these programming languages use only one set of class libraries?" and "What is the role of the Common Language Runtime in executing .NET Applications?" We will take it step by step in the next few sections so you can answer this questions by yourself. First let's consider what happen when you compile a C# source file.
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