Can someone help me better understand what the .NET Framework is?

[lokaupdes34]

I've been reading up on it trying to understand it better, but there's something I'm just not getting about it.

I think I'm missing the fundamentals of how a framework is built and then connecting that with specifically how the .NET framework functions. The way I understand it, a framework is a compilation of templates that make doing tasks easier or faster when programming. "Don't reinvent the wheel" and all that.

But how is a framework built? Certain things I'm reading are telling me languages like C# are based off of it, but then what language is the framework built in? I've read about Visual Basic.NET programming. Is this a language of it's own?

Clearly there are some dots (no pun intended) that I'm not connecting, but I really want to understand. Can someone help explain/discuss this with me so I can be more educated on the subject?

Please don't feel like I'm using this forum as a google search. Everything that I've looked into so far has just been difficult for me to understand.

[SwissProgrammer]

The following is my opinion.

carpe diem.


You seem to have been mislead, in relation to .net, if you think:

"The way I understand it, a [.net] framework is a compilation of templates that make doing tasks easier or faster when programming."

The .net framework is build upon two logics: The first logic which is commonly accepted; and the second logic which has commonly been flamed hard by worshipers of all that is advertised as "new".


(1)
In a time when it looked like Microsoft was losing the economic battle of monopolizing a market with its own operating system, they (Microsoft) came up with a way to program on their (Microsoft's alone) operating system and running those programs which originated on their (only Microsoft's) system via other systems. "Easier and faster" had nothing to do with it. A lust for market control had overwhelming grip on the design process.

Thus, Microsoft produced a pseudo-language that was, by design, (supposedly) compilable on various other operating systems, most of which were their own (Microsoft's). They forced the code that a programmer used (in .net) to be sent raw, open, readable by anyone, with no security, between computers. That code would then be, (or so it was advertised) compiled JIT (Just In Time) on the receiving computer. Microsoft screwed up the code on almost every release that they did, and tried over and over again to get it to work. It did not work and it still does not work. It "seems" to work on Microsoft's own operating systems, but not really so well. It is a mess. Microsoft wrote many other applications that they proclaimed loudly to be .net and better and faster than [you fill in this part with your imagination]. Those are a mess and over time programmers that were suckered in to that logic have been leaving those applications.

If you are old enough and remember, Microsoft used to advertise .net a lot. Microsoft does not shove .net at programmers so much these days. They have gone on to other things in their attempts to monopolize, and that is for some other discussion. It is a company's right to attempt to monopolize, but we do not have to buy or use their attempts.

".net" is not for you. ".net" is a failed attempt to create a pseudo-programming language that could be compiled on most other operating systems (for Microsoft's economic gain) and at the same time be controlled by Microsoft. They have a right to attempt to economically gain, but in this attempt they pushed a failing product. It is not for you. It is only for Microsoft.

You seem to be late to the game and seem to have been drawn in by old advertisements or old discussions that still hang around but have been proven misleading. Many companies were sucked in by those old advertisements and have since then forced their employees to fight with .net until they can get it to maybe work on their own system. Some have fought with .net for years and feel that they have conquered it. But, I have met programmers that used .net and every one of them that I asked informed me that they disapproved of .net .


(2)
.net is aggressively anti-security. Look into JIT. Study JIT. The logic is there. You send raw (uncompiled) programming code from one computer to another and that is in itself alone without need for other considerations anti-security.


Years ago, many of the idiots in management (which seems to be where to find most idiots) were drawn into the lies of .net advertising and now, years later, many programmers still have to deal with the decisions of those idiot managers. If you are one of those programmers then you may print this out and give it to your management instead of getting fired for saying this yourself. If you are a manager: Do not be an idiot, leave the programming choices up to the programmers unless you are a programmer yourself.


Also,
You mentioned, "I've read about Visual Basic.NET programming. Is this a language of it's own?" No, it is not.

It is an attempt by Microsoft to destroy the fastest and most reliable "Rapid Application Development" computer programming environment that has been created by any company in the last 200 years.

Microsoft created Visual Basic up to VB6 service pack 5 with at least the intent for it to be the best (it still is) and for it to be the easiest to use (it still is) and for it to have the most control over their own operating system (it still does).

Then Microsoft's management (specifically the idiots that had control thereof) decided to destroy VB6 and tried adding service pack 6. Big mistake for Microsoft. Programmers saw what Microsoft was attempting to do and rejected service pack 6.

Microsoft's management (specifically the idiots again therein) then attempted to take vengeance on their own product (VB6) and advertised heavily with vast flooding of the newsgroups and programming sites with anti-VB6 rhetoric. For a few years that caused concern among programmers wondering why Microsoft was lying. Now, after years of that, a lot of programmers take Microsoft's statements, in general, as potential lies.

VB6 with service pack 5 is great. VB.net is ****. Do not be a part of .net if you can keep from it, except to pay your bills while working for an idiot.

If you want a hard-core, universal, programming language that most of the programming world and most of industry depends upon, then learn C++. Read this site. Read other sites. Get books by Bjorne Stroustrup. Work at learning C++. Drive yourself hard to learn C++. Then C# and JavaScript and others will be like child's play to you. C++ is hard. C++ is very difficult for some people. But learn it. Reject all .net and Visual Studio code that is offered and do not fall into those rat holes. Learn straight C++.

You decide.


The previous is my opinion.

Thank you for asking.

[TatsianaIsakova]

Hi, here's my brief overview of .Net framework. Hope, it helps.

The .NET Framework is a software platform released by Microsoft in 2002. The platform is based on the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which is suitable for different programming languages. CLR functionality is available in any programming language that uses this environment.

From a technical standpoint, one of the main ideas of the Windows NET Framework is the compatibility of different services written in different languages. For example, a service written in C++ for the Windows NET Framework can call a class method from a library written in Delphi. A class can be written in C# that inherits from a class written in Visual Basic .NET, and an exception created by a method written in C# can be caught and handled in Delphi.

Each library (assembly) in .NET has information about its own version, which eliminates possible conflicts between different versions of assemblies.

The .NET Framework is considered to be a Microsoft's answer to the increasingly popular Java platform from Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle).

.NET is a proprietary technology by Microsoft and is officially designed to run on Microsoft Windows operating systems, there are independent projects (primarily Mono and Portable.NET), allowing to run .NET programs on some other operating systems. At present, the .NET Framework is being developed in the form of .NET Core, initially assuming cross-platform development and operation.

[Abassi]

I think ASP.NET MVC or .NET Core should be mentioned here, as it is one of the most powerful web frameworks for client and server side web development. We made many projects with it already.

[solviostech]

.Net Framework is a product advancement stage created by Microsoft for building and running Windows applications. The .Net structure comprises of designer instruments, programming dialects, and libraries to construct work area and web applications. It is additionally used to construct sites, web administrations , and games.

The .Net structure was intended to make applications, which would run on the Windows Platform.

The structure likewise upholds different programming dialects like Visual Basic and C#. So designers can pick and choose the language to foster the necessary application. In this part, you will gain proficiency with certain rudiments of the .Net structure.

.Net Framework Architecture
.Net Framework Architecture is a programming model for the .Net stage that furnishes an execution climate and combination with different programming dialects for basic turn of events and sending of different Windows and work area applications. It comprises of class libraries and reusable parts.


The basic architecture of the .Net framework is:
• Language (WinForms, ASP.Net, ADO.Net)
• Library (Framework Class Library)
• CLR (Common Language Runtime)

[Mila123]

Maybe this article can help, it is written as easy as possible for understanding - https://kodershop.com/blog/net-softw...amework-works/

[Riya Bajpai]

.NET Framework is a managed execution environment for Windows that allows software developers to create a software application in one programming language and be assured that the app will be able to work with code written in other languages. The framework which is design to accommodate object code no matter where it is store or executed is a primary implementation of Microsoft's .NET Technologies.
The .NET platform was designed to reduce programming errors and increase productivity by using a modular approach to software design. A framework features a Common Language Runtime(CLR) and class library.
The CLR is Microsoft’s implementation of the common language infrastructure (CLI), a standard for helping different programming languages and libraries work together. The CLR manages system services such as memory, thread execution, code execution, code safety verification and compilation. The class library contains tested, reusable code that developers can call from their own apps to provide functionality for such things as file input/output, parsing Extensible Markup Language(XML) and working with Windows Forms.
Microsoft’s development tool for designing and developing .NET apps is called Visual Studio and apps are typically written in Visual Basic (VB) or C#. The Microsoft Test Framework (MSTest) can be used to provide quality assurance (QA) for .NET applications.

[vipulguptaseo]

The .NET Framework is a software development framework developed by Microsoft. It provides a programming model, libraries, and tools for building various types of applications, including desktop applications, web applications, and services.

Here are some key points to help you understand what the .NET Framework is:

Common Language Runtime (CLR): The CLR is the foundation of the .NET Framework. It provides a runtime environment that manages the execution of .NET programs. The CLR handles tasks such as memory management, security, exception handling, and compilation of code into an intermediate language called Common Intermediate Language (CIL).

Base Class Library (BCL): The BCL is a collection of reusable classes, types, and methods that developers can use to build applications. It includes a wide range of functionalities for tasks like file I/O, networking, database access, XML manipulation, and more. The BCL simplifies application development by providing pre-built components and APIs.

Language Interoperabilit y: The .NET Framework supports multiple programming languages, including C#, Visual Basic.NET, and F#. This means that developers can choose the language they are most comfortable with while still leveraging the capabilities of the .NET Framework. The CLR ensures that code written in different languages can seamlessly work together.

Development Tools: Microsoft provides a set of development tools within the .NET Framework ecosystem. This includes an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called Visual Studio, which offers features like code editing, debugging, and project management. Visual Studio is commonly used for building .NET applications, and it has extensive support for various application types and frameworks.

Versioning and Compatibility: The .NET Framework is versioned, with each version introducing new features, improvements, and bug fixes. Applications developed for a specific version of the .NET Framework can run on that version or any later compatible version. This backward compatibility allows developers to leverage newer versions of the framework without breaking existing applications.

Expanding Ecosystem: Over time, Microsoft has introduced additional frameworks and platforms that build upon the .NET Framework. For example, .NET Core is a cross-platform, open-source framework that provides a lightweight and modular version of .NET for building modern applications. There is also Xamarin, a framework for building mobile applications using .NET. These frameworks, along with the .NET Framework, collectively form the larger .NET ecosystem.

Overall, the .NET Framework provides developers with a powerful and versatile platform for building a wide range of applications. It simplifies development by offering a standardized programming model, a rich class library, and a runtime environment that takes care of many underlying complexities.

[frankioe]

According to Microsoft
"What are the main components/features of .NET Framework?
The two major components of .NET Framework are the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework Class Library. The CLR is the execution engine that handles running applications. The Class Library provides a set of APIs and types for common functionality. See Architecture of .NET Framework for more info."

[natashasturrock]

You're on the right track — a framework like .NET is essentially a collection of pre-written code, libraries, and tools that simplify common development tasks. The .NET Framework (and now .NET 5/6/7 onwards) is mainly built in C++ and C#, and supports multiple languages like C#, VB.NET, and F#.

As of 2025, .NET has evolved into a unified, cross-platform, open-source framework (simply called ".NET") with major performance and cloud-native enhancements. This means developers can use one base to build for Windows, Linux, macOS, mobile, and even IoT. Microsoft's investment in AI integration, MAUI for UI, and improved tooling (like with Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot) makes modern .NET development more streamlined than ever.