NET Framework 4.5

.NET Framework

The .NET Framework is a development platform for building apps for Windows, Windows Phone, Windows Server, and Windows Azure. It consists of the common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework class library, which includes classes, interfaces, and value types that support an extensive range of technologies. The .NET Framework provides a managed execution environment, simplified development and deployment, and integration with a variety of programming languages, including Visual Basic and Visual C#.

For a list of .NET Framework core technologies and app platform support, see the roadmap. For a general introduction to the .NET Framework for both users and developers, see Getting Started. For an introduction to the architecture and key features of the .NET Framework, see the overview.

The documentation for the .NET Framework includes an extensive class library reference, conceptual overviews, step-by-step procedures, and information about samples, compilers, and command-line tools. To locate the information that interests you, see the following list of main topic areas.

CLR

The .NET Framework provides a run-time environment called the common language runtime, which runs the code and provides services that make the development process easier.

Compilers and tools expose the common language runtime's functionality and enable you to write code that benefits from this managed execution environment. Code that you develop with a language compiler that targets the runtime is called managed code; it benefits from features such as cross-language integration, cross-language exception handling, enhanced security, versioning and deployment support, a simplified model for component interaction, and debugging and profiling services.

The Common Language Runtime (CLR) is the virtual machine component of Microsoft's .NET framework and is responsible for managing the execution of .NET programs. In a process known asjust-in-time compilation, the compiled code is converted into machine instructions that, in turn, are executed by the computer's CPU.^[1] The CLR provides additional services including memory management, type safety and exception handling. All programs written for the .NET framework, regardless of programming language, are executed by the CLR. It provides exception handling,garbage collection and thread management. CLR is common to all versions of the .NET framework.

The CLR is Microsoft's implementation of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) standard. This is defined by a public standard, the ECMA Common Language Infrastructure specification.^[2]