.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:

• Build web apps, microservices, and APIs.
• Build native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
• Build desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Build IoT apps and machine learning models.
• Use C#, F#, or Visual Basic as programming languages.

What is .NET?

.NET is a set of technologies that enables developers to build and run applications. It consists of:

• The .NET runtime: A managed execution environment that provides features like memory management and garbage collection.
• The .NET Base Class Library (BCL): A collection of fundamental types and utility classes that can be used by all .NET applications.
• The .NET SDK: Tools that enable developers to build, test, and deploy .NET applications.

Key Benefits of .NET:

• Performance: .NET is designed for high performance and efficiency, making it suitable for demanding applications.
• Cross-Platform: Develop once and deploy everywhere – on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and more.
• Productivity: Rich tooling, language features, and extensive libraries boost developer productivity.
• Open Source & Community: A vibrant open-source community drives innovation and provides extensive support.
• Versatility: From enterprise-grade web applications to mobile and IoT, .NET is a versatile platform.

Getting Started with .NET

To start developing with .NET, you'll typically need to:

1. Install the .NET SDK: Download and install the appropriate SDK for your operating system from the official .NET website.
2. Choose a Development Environment: Use a code editor like Visual Studio Code, or an IDE like Visual Studio.
3. Create Your First Application: Use the .NET CLI to create a new project, for example, a console application:

   dotnet new console -o MyFirstApp
   cd MyFirstApp
   dotnet run

.NET Ecosystem

The .NET ecosystem is vast and includes:

• ASP.NET Core: For building modern web applications and APIs.
• Xamarin / .NET MAUI: For building cross-platform native mobile and desktop applications.
• Entity Framework Core: An object-relational mapper (ORM) for data access.
• Azure integration: Seamless deployment and services on Microsoft Azure.

Explore the .NET documentation to dive deeper into specific areas, find tutorials, and learn about the latest features.