What is .NET

.NET is a software development framework developed by Microsoft, used to build a wide variety of applications, including desktop software, web applications, cloud services and mobile applications. Since its launch in 2002, .NET has evolved to meet the changing needs of developers and to support an ever-wider range of development scenarios.

History and evolution

Development of .NET began in the late 1990s, with the first official version launched in 2002 under the name .NET Framework. This framework aimed to provide a unified platform for application development on Windows, with features such as the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which enables programs written in different languages to be executed, and a vast Base Class Library (BCL).

In 2016, Microsoft introduced .NET Core, an open-source, cross-platform version of .NET, enabling developers to create applications that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This marked a major transition for .NET towards a more open and flexible platform.

In November 2020, Microsoft launched .NET 5, which aimed to unify .NET Framework and .NET Core under a single platform. This was followed by .NET 6 in November 2021, .NET 7 in November 2022 and .NET 8 in November 2023, which introduced improvements in performance, productivity and portability.

Architecture & Components

  • CLR (Common Language Runtime) : The runtime engine that manages the execution of .NET code, managing memory, security and other low-level services.

  • BCL (Base Class Library) : An extensive class library providing basic functionality such as data structures, file management, error handling and more.

  • Programming languages : .NET supports several languages, including C#, F#, and VB.NET, allowing flexibility according to the developer's preferences.

  • ASP.NET : The framework for web application development within .NET, including ASP.NET Core for cross-platform development.

Use Case

.NET is used to develop a wide range of :

  • Desktop applications : With Windows Forms and WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation).

  • Web applications : Using ASP.NET Core.

  • Mobile applications : Thanks to .NET MAUI (Multi-plateform App UI) , which enables the development of applications for Android and iOS.

  • Cloud services : Development of scalable services with Azure integration.

Advantages of .NET

  • Open source : Opening .NET to open source has transformed the way the platform evolves, making it more dynamic, adaptable and transparent. .NET has over 100,000 developer contributions from more than 3,700 companies outside Microsoft.

  • Portability : .NET applications can be run on different operating systems thanks to .NET Core and .NET 5/6/7/8.

  • Performance : .NET is fast. Really fast! This means that applications offer better response times and require less computing power.

  • Security : It offers robust security features for mission-critical applications.

Conclusion

.NET is a mature and comprehensive platform, suitable for a wide variety of development scenarios. It continues to evolve to meet the needs of modern developers, with recent releases like .NET 8 pushing performance, productivity and accessibility even further for efficient cross-platform development. To find out more, explore Microsoft's official documents.