Welcome to .NET Documentation
The .NET platform provides a comprehensive, open-source framework for building cross‑platform applications—from web and mobile to desktop, cloud, gaming, IoT, and more. This overview gives you a high‑level look at the ecosystem, key concepts, and where to find detailed resources.
Key Features Core
- Cross‑platform: Run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Unified Base Class Library (BCL): Consistent APIs across languages and platforms.
- Multiple languages: C#, F#, Visual Basic, and more.
- High performance: RyuJIT, tiered compilation, and native AOT.
- Rich tooling: Visual Studio, VS Code, and CLI.
Supported Platforms Runtime
- .NET 8 (LTS) – latest stable release.
- .NET 7 – current feature release.
- .NET 6 – LTS, still supported.
- .NET Framework 4.8 – Windows‑only legacy runtime.
- .NET MAUI – multi‑device UI framework.
- ASP.NET Core – high‑performance web.
Getting Started Tutorial
Ready to code? Follow our Getting Started guide to install the SDK, create your first console app, and explore HelloWorld in C#.
Explore Further
Delve deeper into the ecosystem:
- API Reference – complete class library docs.
- Code Samples – real‑world projects and snippets.
- Developer Guides – best practices and architectural patterns.
- Tools & SDKs – Visual Studio, CLI, Docker, and more.
- FAQ – common questions answered.