.NET Overview

Welcome to the .NET documentation. This section provides a comprehensive overview of the .NET platform, its architecture, and its core concepts. .NET is a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications.

What is .NET?

.NET is a versatile and powerful development platform that enables developers to build a wide range of applications, including:

• Web applications and services (ASP.NET Core)
• Mobile applications (MAUI)
• Desktop applications (WPF, Windows Forms, WinUI)
• Cloud-native applications
• IoT applications
• Machine learning models

It consists of a runtime, language compilers, and a set of base class libraries. The runtime manages the execution of your applications, while the compilers translate your code into intermediate language (IL) that the runtime can execute.

Key Features

• Cross-Platform: Develop and run your applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Open-Source: .NET is developed by Microsoft and the community on GitHub.
• High Performance: .NET is designed for performance, with a fast runtime and optimized libraries.
• Productivity: Rich tooling, modern language features (C#, F#, Visual Basic), and extensive libraries boost developer productivity.
• Security: Built-in security features and ongoing updates help keep your applications safe.
• Scalability: Suitable for building applications of all sizes, from small utilities to large enterprise systems.

Core Components

Runtime

The .NET runtime provides the environment where your code executes. It includes:

• Common Language Runtime (CLR): Manages memory, security, and threading.
• Just-In-Time (JIT) Compilation: Compiles IL code into native machine code at runtime for optimal performance.
• Garbage Collection (GC): Automatic memory management.

Base Class Library (BCL)

The BCL provides a set of fundamental classes, types, and utilities that are essential for application development. This includes types for collections, I/O, networking, threading, and more.

Languages

.NET supports several modern programming languages, with C# being the most popular:

• C#: A modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language.
• F#: A functional-first, cross-platform programming language for .NET.
• Visual Basic: A language with a long history, known for its readability and ease of use.

Getting Started

Ready to start building? Explore our Getting Started guide to install the .NET SDK and create your first application.