Introduction
.NET framework is a software development framework that is used for building and running web applications on Windows. And it includes a library and runtime environment. It is a part of .NET platform, a collection of technologies for building apps for Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, and more.
.NET framework is a cross-platform implementation for running websites, and console apps on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is an open-source framework. And it was introduced by Microsoft in late 1990. And .NET is a virtual machine that provides a common platform to run the applications that are built using different languages like C#, VB, JavaScript, VB.NET, etc.
It is purely object-oriented that is similar to Java language. And the main objective of this framework is to develop an application that can run on the Windows platform. And .NET programs are executed in CLR(Common Language Runtime). And it also provides language interoperability.
Components of .NET Framework
1) CLR (Common Language Runtime)
The CLR works like a virtual machine that provides a runtime environment for .NET. It provides cross-language integration, exception handling, enhanced security, deployment support, and more. It is used to execute different languages including C#, VB, and more.
It also helps to convert the source code into the byte code and this byte code is known as Common Intermediate Language (CIL). And after converting that code into byte code a CLR uses a JIT compiler at run time which helps to convert a CIL code into the machine code.
2) CLI (Command Line Interface)
It is a cross-platform tool for creating, building, restoring packages, running, and publishing .NET applications. It provides a way to interact with the framework and run .NET applications from the command line. And it is a text-based interface that allows you to enter commands and parameters to do various tasks.
3) BCL (Base Class Library)
This library has a rich collection of library features and functions. And the main specialty of this library is that it can be consumed by any .NET language. The BCL (Base Class Library) is primarily developed by using C# language.
This library provides a set of reusable types, collections, classes, interfaces, and other components that are commonly used in .NET applications.
BCL divides into two parts:
- User-defined class library
- Predefined class library
4) FCL (Framework Class Library):
.NET Framework Class Library is the collection of classes, interfaces, and data types, etc. that are used to create different types of applications for desktop, android, macOS, Linux, etc. It is a superset of the Base Class Library (BCL), which means that it contains all of the classes and types in the BCL.
Advantages and Disadvantages of .NET Framework
Advantages
1) Easy to use: It is easy to use and beginners can easily understand that how to use, because it simplified the application development process.
2) Language Interoperability: It supports multiple programming languages and it also allows developers to mix and match languages in the same application.
3) Cross Platform: .NET Framework supports cross-platform development and allows developers to build applications that can be run on different OS.
4) Security: It includes a wide range of security features which help to protect the applications from malicious attacks.
5) Less Development Time: It has the features of RAD which allow developers to build applications quickly within very less time and with less code.
Disadvantages
1) Limited Compatibility: Some older applications may not be compatible with the .NET Framework, which can cause a problem for organizations that rely on legacy software.
2) Platform Dependency: The .NET Framework is mainly designed for Windows operating systems, which makes it limited to other platforms.
3) Storage: To build applications on .NET Framework it requires more RAM (Random Access Memory).
