.NET is a framework from Microsoft that lets you operate identical namespaces, libraries, and APIs for various languages. Most often, these are four languages from the .NET family:
- C #;
- Visual Basic;
- Visual C ++;
- F #.
When you create a program in one of these languages, at the very beginning you include the System namespace. If not for .NET, then each of these languages would have had to create a separate System. That is, one of the main principles of programming would be violated.
What is .NET for?
It may seem to ordinary users that these are some kind of programmer’s things that do not affect their lives in any way. It makes sense for them too.
If it weren’t for .NET, users would have to establish a runtime for programs in each language. That is, to run a Visual Basic application, you must download the Visual Basic runtime. If the program is written in C #, then you will have to download the background for it.
This will very quickly clog up all the space on your computer with slightly additional copies of the identical libraries.
This is also essential for programmers because it creates it possible to develop one environment that is operated for four languages at once. Otherwise, ordinary developers would have to wait until a new version of the libraries for their language is released. Less popular languages like F # would receive an update much later than C #.
In addition to the main languages, others are supported by .NET. Among them are COBOL, Fortran, Haskell, and even Java – you can check out the full list and net development outsourcing.
Old (legacy) projects are often written in these languages, which are difficult to translate to new technology. .NET allows you to rewrite part of a COBOL program to fit .NET standards, and then just write new parts in a more modern language like Visual Basic.
DotNet will revolutionize the development world
The DotNet toolkit was first released in 2000 with exactly this headline: “.Net is the game that will revolutionize the development world.”
More than two decades later, we can trace that Dotnet did not turn the world upside down, however, it greatly facilitated the development of products for Windows operating systems, digital transformation in healthcare, etc.
All this time, Dotnet has been developing and gaining popularity for a reason, but due to its excellent functionality.
Someone draws an analogy between DotNet and Java, because these two development tools have common features, for instance, the presence of a virtual machine, an SDK, a recommended IDE, built-in support for tools from the ecosystem, a way to compile programs, etc. Some developers generally claim that the DotNet program was born as the answer to Java. Perhaps it is.
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Key features
DotNet is something that, with its arrival, completely changed the approach to development:
- Cross-platform. With the help of DotNet, you may make applications not only for Windows but also for macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS.
- Open source. Microsoft rarely distributes its open source products, and .Net is one such product.
- Support from Microsoft. It will not be news to anyone that Microsoft is one of the leaders among other IT giants, and the help of the instrument from such a company speaks volumes.
- Supported tools. DotNet is developed in: C #, F #, Visual Basic; is a Visual Studio IDE for Windows, Linux, MacOS, and the online IDE GitHub Codespaces.
- MSBuild. DotNet applications are assembled operating this scheme. That is, the application is reported in Visual Studio, and is produced by MSBuild – this action causes it more comfortable for developers to compile, package, and post code.
- Built-in integration tools for GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Cake, Fake.
- NuGet is a built-in package manager that is specifically designed for DotNet.
- .NET Interactive is a set of devices for adding interactive elements to applications.
- The CLR is the background in which DotNet code runs. This environment also acts as a virtual machine in which the code is assembled.
