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18.5 Spelunking the Framework with Rotor

The Shared Source Common Language Infrastructure (SSCLI), warmly referred to by its codename “Rotor,” is the source distribution for the core parts of the .NET Framework, which include the Common Language Runtime (CLR), the C# and JScript compilers, and the Base Class Libraries (BCLs). It’s based on the ECMA standards (http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/ecma/) and packaged with a community-friendly license promoting education and experimentation.

Rotor was the original trailblazer for Microsoft’s Shared Source initiative. Version 1.0, which was based on the core of version 1.0 of the .NET Framework, was released in late 2002 and quickly became a hit within the hacker, academic, and language development communities. Version 2.0, released in early 2006, is based on .NET 2.0.

Rotor supports a broad community of users and tinkerers. Whether your aim is to achieve .NET guru status or you’re just a Sunday-afternoon dilettante, Rotor is an excellent educational tool to have in your toolbox. This article gives you a whirlwind tour, from getting started with Rotor by building the source and running .NET assemblies to zooming in from the high-level .NET APIs you know and love down to the bare metal for a full view of what’s going on underneath the hood. As you’ll see, this tool can provide you with knowledge that will help you to understand a bit more about how the .NET Framework works.

Rotor at a Glance
Tool	Rotor (Shared Source Common Language Infrastructure) ...