What is actually the DotNet Framework is ?

Hi guys,
               How are you all? I am doing good. Anyway straight to the point. I want to make clear of some doubts that so many newbies to dotnet world are facing today.


What exactly the dotnet framework is?
The dotnet framework is not a programming language (I want to stress the word NOT here). Because i heard from so many people saying that ' I am learning new language that is dotnet'. I am sorry if you also think the same way. Its a blunder if you say dotnet is a programming language.

Okay, we have concluded that donet is not a programming language, then what is it? Yes dotnet is a framework which includes a runtime (CLR short form for Common Language Runtime) and the base class libraries (libraries are nothing but the predefined classes and functions like header files in c and c++). DotNet framework also includes other components which we will discuss later ( you may be confused with all of them in the beginning).



So it provides a way to develop applications using its predefined classes and methods and a runtime where we can excecute those programs.

Then you may get a doubt that which language can we use to develop dotnet applications. There are many languages for this purpose. The main and important are C#.net, VB.Net, J#.net etc.

So we can use any of the languages to develop applications that use dotnet framework. Dotnet framework also supports many other languages (upto 20 languages).
C# (pronouced as 'c' sharp) is the important language which is most compatible with the dotnet framework.

In the next post we will discuss the details of all the components of dotnet framework and also a sample c# program.

Have fun programming :)