The Core Components Of .Net Framework

The ASP.NET framework helps in storing the information regarding the state of the application. The page state is the state of the client, i.e., the content of various input fields in the web form. The session state is the collective information obtained from various pages the user visited and worked with, i.e., the overall session state. The ASP.NET session state and server-side infrastructure keep track of the information collected globally over a session.

ASP.NET has been pivotal for many companies, enabling them to transition from desktop to web-based solutions. With minimal .NET knowledge, developers have successfully developed and deployed applications using ASP.NET.

CLR

The Common Language Runtime (CLR) is a key component of the .NET Framework, a software framework developed by Microsoft that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. The CLR is responsible for executing .NET programs and providing services that facilitate the development process.

When a developer writes code in a dot net-supported language, such as C# or VB, the language compiler compiles the source code into Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) or Intermediate Language (IL) code. This IL code is only partially compiled and cannot be directly executed by the operating system.

This is where the CLR comes into play. The CLR acts as a runtime environment that takes the IL code and feeds it into the Just-in-Time (JIT) Compiler, which is a part of the CLR itself. The JIT Compiler reads each line of IL code and converts it into machine-specific instructions, also known as binary code, which can then be executed by the underlying operating system.

The CLR also provides various services that make development easier. It manages the execution of code, including security checks, and enables cross-language integration. Objects written in different languages can communicate with each other and be tightly integrated. For example, a class defined in one language can be derived from or called using a different language.

Additionally, the CLR handles object layout and manages references to objects, releasing them when they are no longer needed. This automatic management of objects is known as garbage collection, which helps prevent memory leaks and other programming errors.

Framework Class Library

The ..NET Framework is a software development framework developed by Microsoft that provides a runtime environment and a set of libraries and tools for building and running applications on Windows operating systems. The Framework Class Library (FCL) is a vital component of the .NET framework, offering system functionality through its extensive collection of classes, data types, and interfaces.

The FCL is integrated with the Common Language Runtime (CLR) of the .NET framework and is compatible with all .NET languages, including C#, F#, and Visual Basic .NET. Its functionality can be broadly categorized into three groups: utility features written in .NET, wrappers around OS functionality, and frameworks. These categories are flexible, and some classes may fit into multiple categories.

The utility features of the FCL include various collection classes such as lists, stacks, queues, and dictionaries. Namespaces in the FCL are groups of related classes and interfaces that can be utilized by all .NET framework languages. The use of naming patterns to organize related types into namespaces aids in building and documenting class libraries. For example, the namespace "Microsoft.Word" adheres to this guideline.

The FCL also allows types to be uniquely identified by their full name, which includes their namespace and type name. This naming convention prevents type name collisions. Library developers are encouraged to follow specific naming conventions when creating namespaces. The ..NET API Browser can be used to explore the .NET Class Library and its namespaces, types, and members.

The FCL provides the necessary tools and functionalities for developers to create a wide range of applications, including desktop, web, and mobile applications. It serves as the foundation for building software, providing a comprehensive set of classes and interfaces that can be leveraged by various programming languages within the .NET ecosystem.

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WinForm Applications

Windows Forms, also known as WinForms, is a graphical user interface (GUI) class library for building Windows desktop applications. It is a part of the .NET framework and is supported in .NET Core, .NET 5+, .NET 8 (LTS), and .NET 9. The applications developed using Windows Forms are known as Windows Forms Applications or WinForm Applications.

Windows Services

There are two types of services that can be created in Visual Studio using the .NET Framework: Win32OwnProcess and Win32ShareProcess. Services that are the only service in a process are assigned the type Win32OwnProcess, while services that share a process with another service are assigned the type Win32ShareProcess.

To create a Windows Service application, a Windows Service application project or another .NET Framework-enabled project that creates an .exe file when built and inherits from the ServiceBase class is required. Installation components for the project and its services can be added through the Properties window.

Tutorials are available on Microsoft Learn, which guide users through creating a Windows service app in Visual Studio that writes messages to an event log.

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