1.3 .NET Framework

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The .NET Framework is the environment in which a developer will design, build, and deploy a .NET-based solution. The solution can be for a Web application or rich Windows client application, because the .NET Framework encompasses access to all of the developer technologies from Microsoft, including ActiveX Template Library (ATL), COM, Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), and Win 32. In addition, the .NET Framework supports a number of third-party languages that have been written to conform to the Common Language Specification, a set of rules that defines how a language will perform and act within .NET. These include COBOL, Eiffel, SmallTalk, and Perl (see Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3: The .NET framework.

Microsoft has released a lighter version of the .NET Framework called the .NET Compact Framework, designed for devices such as mobile telephones and even televisions.

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