The .NET Framework Class Library

The .NET Framework class library contains a number of base data types for use in your application. However, the .NET Framework class actually supports many base types that are not compliant with the Common Language Specification, or CLS. It is important to know what types are and are not available to the CLS, but first it is useful to understand the CLS.

What Is the Common Language Specification?

The Common Language Specification (CLS) is a subset of the language features directly supported by the Common Language Runtime. The runtime lays out a set of rules to guarantee cross-language interoperability. By defining types and rules that all CLS-compliant code must use, you are guaranteed that a class written in ...

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