Chapter 1. What Is Microsoft .NET?

for RuBoard

.NET is Microsoft's vision of applications in the Internet age. .NET provides enhanced interoperability features based upon open Internet standards. .NET improves the robustness of classic Windows applications. .NET offers developers a new programming platform and superb tools, with XML playing a fundamental role.

Microsoft .NET is a platform built on top of the operating system. Three years in the making before the public announcement, .NET represents a major investment by Microsoft. .NET has been influenced by other technological advances such as XML, Java , and COM.

Microsoft .NET provides:

• The Common Language Runtime, a robust runtime platform.

• Multiple language development, with no language being more preferred over any other.

• The .NET Framework, an extensible programming model, which provides a very large class library of reusable code available to any .NET language.

• Support for a networking infrastructure built on top of Internet standards that allows a high level of communication among applications.

• Support for the new industry standard of Web Services. Web Services represent a new mechanism of application delivery that extends the idea of component-based development to the Internet.

• ASP.NET, which allows you to use standard programming practices to develop Web applications.

• A Deployment model that allows for versioning and the end of "DLL Hell."

• A Security model that is easy for programmers to use in their programs.

• An interoperability mechanism that enables .NET programs to access legacy code, including COM components .

• Powerful development tools.

for RuBoard