The .NET Framework has undergone numerous name changes throughout its history. First, it was known as Project 42, then renamed COR, and subsequently called Lightning, COM+2.0, and NGWS (Next Generation Web Services). It was finally renamed the .NET Framework only weeks before its launch at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Orlando in July 2000. [1]
Core elements of the .NET Framework have been standardized by the ECMA. A major reason for standardizing the .NET Framework is to permit other implementations of the framework to be built. Apart from the commercial Windows-based implementation, Microsoft has built shared-source implementations for Windows and BSD UNIX; it is hoped that other implementations from different groups will follow. For information on the standardization effort, interested readers should visit the following Web site: http://www.ecma.ch The .NET Framework standardization effort is detailed at the following Web site: http://www.ecma.ch/ecma1/STAND/ecma-335.htm The C# language standard is found at the following address: http://www.ecma.ch/ecma1/STAND/ECMA-334.htm You can find out more about the shared-source implementations at the following Web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/net/sscli |