The .NET Framework
The .NET Framework represents, in addition to the managed runtime, the base classes, libraries, and useful functions that make programming in .NET so productive. The classes and functions found in the .NET Framework offer the majority of common features you need as a developer. Thanks to the Common Type System (CTS), each language can take advantage of this single Framework of functionality. Framework features include file I/O, web, workflow, collections, Windows, communication, and much, much more.
Of course, as the .NET languages evolve, so does the Framework. However, to maintain backward compatibility, each version of the Framework remains as a separate entity. There are now many versions of the .NET Framework: 4.6, 4.5.2, ...
Get Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Unleashed, Third Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
