The .NET Framework

          The .NET Framework is a software development environment created by Microsoft. It is composed of tools, technologies and languages used to build and deploy robust desktop and web applications.

 

         
          At the bottom of the .Net Framework structure is Common Language Runtime (CLR)which handles code execution. Above the CLR layer is the .NET Base Class Library which contains runtime libraries that support common functions like file reading and writing, XML document manipulation, exception handling, application globalization, network communication, threading and reflection, which makes the programmer's job easier. ADO.NET and XML layer supports tasks related to data access, parsing, manipulation and generating XML. The next layer, ASP.NET and Windows Forms build robust web applications and standard Windows applications as well as develop and consume web services. Common Language Specification (CLS) then facilitates interoparability between languages. It defines the reasonable subset of Common Type System (CTS), the shared data type that serves a great role in cross-language integration. The flexibility of CTS make many languages adapt to .NET platform.