Introduction to .NET - MSDN Documentation

Welcome to .NET

.NET is a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications. With .NET, you can create console applications, web applications, cloud services, mobile apps, desktop apps, and much more. This documentation will guide you through the core concepts and provide the resources you need to start building your own .NET applications.

What is .NET?

.NET is a versatile framework that includes everything you need to build and deploy applications. It's composed of several key parts:

The .NET Runtime: This is the foundation that executes your applications. It includes the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Base Class Library (BCL).
The .NET SDK: This is a collection of tools for building and publishing applications. It includes compilers, debuggers, and other essential utilities.
The .NET CLI: A command-line interface that allows you to create, build, run, and publish .NET applications from your terminal.

Key Features of .NET

Cross-Platform

Develop and run your applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Open-Source

Contribute to and benefit from a vibrant community-driven platform.

High Performance

Built for speed and efficiency, .NET delivers excellent runtime performance.

Versatile

Build web apps, mobile backends, microservices, cloud services, and more.

Modern Language Support

Leverage powerful languages like C#, F#, and Visual Basic.

Rich Ecosystem

Access a vast collection of libraries and tools for every development need.

Your First .NET Application

Let's create a simple "Hello, World!" console application using the .NET CLI.

Create a new project: Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where you want to create your project. Then, run the following command:
dotnet new console -o MyFirstApp
This command creates a new directory named MyFirstApp and generates the necessary files for a console application.
Navigate to the project directory:
cd MyFirstApp
Run the application:
dotnet run

You should see the output: Hello, World!