.NET Documentation

Introduction to .NET

.NET is a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications. With .NET, you can write applications in C#, F#, or Visual Basic.

The .NET platform consists of the following components:

.NET Runtime: Includes the common language runtime (CLR) for managed code execution, a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, and a garbage collector.
Base Class Library (BCL): A collection of fundamental types and common functionalities that are available to all .NET applications.
Language Compilers: Compilers for C#, F#, and Visual Basic.
SDK (Software Development Kit): Tools for building and deploying applications.

Key Features

.NET offers a rich set of features designed to enhance developer productivity and application performance:

Cross-Platform: Develop and run your applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
High Performance: .NET is one of the fastest general-purpose development platforms available.
Open Source: Developed in the open by Microsoft and the community.
Modern Language Support: Features like C# provide powerful language constructs for building robust applications.
Vast Ecosystem: Extensive libraries, tools, and community support.

Getting Started with a Simple Application

Let's create a basic "Hello, World!" application.

First, ensure you have the .NET SDK installed. You can download it from the official .NET website.

Create a new directory for your project, navigate into it, and create a new console application:

dotnet new console -o MyConsoleApp
cd MyConsoleApp
            

This will create a project file (`.csproj`) and a `Program.cs` file. Open `Program.cs` in your favorite editor. It should look something like this:

using System;

namespace MyConsoleApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
        }
    }
}
            

To run your application, use the following command in your terminal from within the project directory:

dotnet run

You should see the output:

Hello, World!

Next Steps

Explore the following resources to deepen your understanding: