Lesson 1

DOT NET FRAMEWORK (.NET)

.NET Framework

.NET Framework is a software development platform develop by Microsoft.The framework was

mean to create an application which would run on Windows platform. The first version of .NET
framework is 1.0 which was released in the year 2002. And the latest version of .NET framework
is 4.8.1which was released in August 2022. .NET framework can be used to createform based,
console-based Application and web-based application. Framework also supports various
programming languages such as Visual Basic, C#, ASP, J#.

.NET Framework supports more than 60 programming languages in which 11 programming

languages are designed and developed by Microsoft. The remaining Non-Microsoft Languages
which are supported by .NET Framework but not designed and developed by Microsoft.

11 Programming Languages which are designed and developed by Microsoft are:

✓ C#.NET
✓ VB.NET
✓ C++.NET
✓ J#.NET
✓ F#.NET
✓ JSCRIPT.NET
✓ WINDOWS POWERSHELL
✓ IRON RUBY
✓ IRON PYTHON
✓ C OMEGA
✓ ASML(Abstract State Machine Language)

Programmer can choose from a various programming language available on the .NET
platform. The most common ones are VB.NET and C#.NET.
 Features of .NET
1. Platform Independent

Platform independent means it supports cross platform that works on multiple

platforms. Whenever we make .NET program, we use windows operating system. In
windows operating system we have different versions such as (window 10, window 8,
window 9 etc ). Suppose, if we develop programming code in window 11 and the same
code try to run on different version like in window 10 operating system it will work
perfectly fine. So, we can say that it is interoperable between multiple windows
operating system.
2. Language Independent

As Programmer can choose any language from a various programming language

available on the .NET platform. So, if I have the code of one language. I can just work
with other language as well. We can say code written in one language can be used in
other language. Suppose program isdevelop in VB.NET user can easily reuse that code in
C#.NET as well. Thatmeans user can reuse the code from one language to another. So,
as we don’t need to write code again and again so it improves efficiency and
performance will be faster with the help of different languages.

3. Automatic management of resources

It automatically manages the resources (file, memory, database etc). In .NET we have
garbage collector that periodically checks for unused objects (memory space) in
our code, and automatically free up that space if it is no longer needed in the
program.

4. Consistent programming model

.NET is the pure object-oriented programming language. .NET is a framework inside we

are having multiple languages like VB.NET, C#.NET(C sharp.NET) etc and all these
languages having object oriented features. So, we can say that it is having consistent
object oriented programming model across all languages. We know that object oriented
contain features like i) abstraction ii) encapsulation iii) polymorphismiv)inheritance.
5. Easy database connectivity

ADO.NET is used to develop applications to interact with Databases such as Oracle or

Microsoft SQL Server. So, .NET can connect easily with database using ADO.NET
technology.
Architecture/Components of .NET Framework

[Fig: Architecture/Components of .NET Framework]

The architecture of the .Net framework is based on the following keycomponents;

1. Common Language Runtime

The "Common Language Infrastructure" or CLI is a platform on which the
.Net programs are executed. The CLI has the following key features:

Exception Handling - Exceptions are errors which occur when theapplication is executed.
Examples of exceptions are:

✓ If an application tries to open a file on the local machine, but thefile is not
present.
✓ If the application tries to fetch some records from a database, butthe
connection to the database is not valid.

Garbage Collection - Garbage collection is the process of removingunwanted resources when

they are no longer required. Examples of garbagecollection is :

A File handle which is no longer required. If the application has finished alloperations on a file,
then the file handle may no longer be required.
 2. Class Library

The .NET Framework includes a set of standard class libraries. A class library is a
collection of methods and functions that can be used for the corepurpose.
For example, there is a class library with methods to handle all file-level operations. So,
there is a method which can be used to read the text from a file. Similarly, there is a
method to write text to a file.

3. Language
The types of applications that can be built in the .Net framework is classified broadly into the
following categories.

WinForms – This is used for developing Forms-based applications, whichwould run on

an end user machine. Notepad is an example of a client-basedapplication.

ASP.Net – This is used for developing web-based applications, which are made to run
on any browser such as Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox.

The Web application would be processed on a server, which would have Internet
Information Services Installed.

Internet Information Services or IIS is a Microsoft component which is usedto execute an

Asp.Net application.

The result of the execution is then sent to the client machines, and the outputis shown in
the browser.

ADO.Net – This technology is used to develop applications to interact withDatabases

such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server.

MSIL

A .NET programming language (C#, VB.NET, J# etc.) does not compile into executable code;
instead, it compiles into an intermediate code called Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL).
As a programmer one need not worry about the syntax of MSIL - since our source code in
automatically converted to MSIL. The MSIL code is then send to the CLR (Common Language
Runtime) that converts the code to machine language which is then run on the host machine.
Once we have compiled our code to MSIL CLR accept the MSIL code then again recompilation
is done CLR containsJIT(Just in time) compiler to recompiled MSIL code into native code. MSIL
is similar to Java Byte code. A Java program is compiled into Java Byte code (the .class file)
by a Java compiler, the class file is then sent to JVM which converts it into the host machine
language.

CLR
JIT
Native
Compil
Sourc e Code /
MSIL Compile
Machin OUTPUT
e
eCode
Code

[Fig : Process of compilation converting IL into machine code]

CLR(Common Language Runtime)

CLR is the heart of .NET framework. CLR is similar to the JVM(Java Virtual
Machine) in java. Whenever we write code that code is converted into intermediate
language after first compilation. And this intermediate language is executed on
CLR(Common Language runtime).So, we need CLR to execute the intermediate
language. Also, whole program is monitored by CLR.

Components of CLR

Exception Manager Thread Support

Security Checker Debug Engine

Code Manager Type Checker

Class Loader Garbage Collector

[Fig : Components of CLR]

1. Code Manager

As name signify code manager means managing code. Code manager manage code
during execution i.e., when we run our code. It also allocates memory to objects.

2. Type Checker

As name signify type checker means checking type but which type. It checksdata type of
variable. For example, we declare a variable as follows:
Dim a As IntegerDim b as
DoubleDim c as String

So, checking data type of these variables a, b and c is taken care by type checker.

3. Debug Engine

Debugging means finding the errors. Debug engine find and remove the bugs(errors) into
the code.

4. Class Loader
Class loader loads data in runtime. We can say that class loader loads all
libraries(collection of classes, methods, functions, interfaces) which are associated in the
intermediate language code.

5. Exception Manager
Errors are classified into two categories
1. Compile-Time errors
2. Run-Time errors
All the syntax error done in program i.e., mistakes that is done duringdeveloping or typing
program is called compile-time error.
Sometimes program run successfully but it terminated or may cause systemto crash i.e.,
logically program is correct but error comes during execution
 of program called run time error. So, to manage the normal flow of program cause by
run time error CLR contains exception manager. Ex : Division by 0.
It manages the exception in both managed and unmanaged code.
* Note :
1. Whenever user convert source code to the intermediate language this is the
managed code.
2. Whenever user convert source code directly to machine code this is
unmanaged code.

6. Thread support
When user open multiple independent program (like Game, Music app, paint app) on
window called as multiprogramming.
When user open multiple tabs on let’s say in browser (google chrome) whichmeans same
type of tasks perform together (like opening Gmail, Facebook, translator etc ) called
multithreading. So, .NET supports thread which meansmultiple application can be created
at a same time on same environment.

7. Security checker

When an application has database where all files of user are saved like some user id,
passwords etc. and that data cannot be access by outside world. So, that task is of security
checker which resources should be access by which user i.e., anybody cannot access
everything.

8. Garbage collector

In .NET we have garbage collector that periodically checks for unused objects
(memory space) in our code, and automatically free up that space if it is no longer needed
in the program.
CTS

CTS stands for Common type System. It deals with the data type. So here we have several
languages and each and every language has its own data type and one language data type
cannot be understandable by other languages but .NET Framework language can
understand all the data types.C# has an int data type and VB.NET has Integer data type.
Hence a variable declared as an int in C# and Integer in VB.NET, finally after
compilation, uses the same structure Int32 from CTS.

Languag Datatyp
e CLR Datatype
e

int C#
C#.NET compiler
Int32
VB.NET compiler

VB.NET intege
r

[Fig : CTS(Common Type System)]

CLS

CLS stands for Common Language Specification and it is a subset of CTS.It defines a
set of rules and restrictions that every language must follow which runs under the .NET
framework. The languages which follow these set of rules are said to be CLS Compliant.
In simple words, CLS enables cross-language integration or Interoperability.

For Example

10
 if we talk about C# and VB.NET then, in C# every statement must have to end with a
semicolon. It is also called a statement Terminator, but in VB.NET each statement should
not end with a semicolon(;).

Explanation of the above Example

So, these syntax rules which you have to follow from language to languagediffer but CLR
can understand all the language Syntax because in .NET eachlanguage is converted into
MSIL code after compilation and the MSIL codeis language specification of CLR.

JIT (Just in time Compiler)

The MSIL is the language that all of the .NET languages compile down to. After they are
in this intermediate language, a process called Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation occurs
when resources are used from your application at runtime. JIT allows “parts” of your
application to execute when they are needed, which means that if something is never
needed, it will never compiledown to the native code. By using the JIT, the CLR can cache
code that is used more than once and reuse it for subsequent calls, without going through
the compilation process again.

The JIT process enables a secure environment by making certain assumptions:

• Type references are compatible with the type being referenced.

• Operations are invoked on an object only if they are within theexecution
parameters for that object.
• Identities within the application are accurate.
By following these rules, the managed execution can guarantee that code being executed
is type safe; the execution will only take place in memory that it is allowed to access.
This is possible by the verification process that occurs when the MSIL is converted
into CPU-specific code. During this

11
 verification, the code is examined to ensure that it is not corrupt, it is type safe, and the
code does not interfere with existing security policies that are in place on the system.

Namespaces

Namespaces help you to create logical groups of related classes and interfaces that can
be used by any language targeting the .NET framework. Namespaces allow you to
organize your classes so that they can be easily accessed in other applications.
Namespace can also be used to avoid any naming conflicts between classes that have the
same names. For example, you can use two classes with the same name in an application
provided theybelong to different namespaces. You can access the classes belonging to a
namespace by simply importing the namespace into an application. The
.NET framework uses a dot (.) as a delimiter(separator) between classes and
namespaces.

Ex. import System.Windows.Forms represents the windows form button class of the
System namespace.

System is the basic namespace used by every .NET code. There are lots of namespace
user the system namespace.

For example,

System.IO,

System.Net,

System.Collections,

System.Threading,

System.Drawing, etc.

12
 Button class

[Fig : Namespace Representation]Some inbuilt

namespaces are :

System: Includes essential classes and base classes for commonly used data
types, events, exceptions and so on.

System.Collections: Includes classes and interfaces that define various

collection of objects such as list, queues, hash tables, arrays, etc.

System.IO: Includes classes for data access with Files.

System.Threading: Includes classes and interfaces to support multithreaded

applications.

System.Windows.Forms: Includes classes for creating Windows based

forms.

System.Web: Includes classes and interfaces that support browser-server

communication.

System.Web.Services: Includes classes that let us build and use Web

Services.

13
 User can define own namespace as follows :

Namespace namespaceName

Syntax :

Namespace Namespace1

Public Class class1

class code

End Class

End Namespace Ex

Namespace College

Namespace students

imports System

Class Addstudents

Public Function S_Method()

Console.WriteLine("Adding Students to college using S_Method!")

End Function

End Class

End Namespace

End Namespace

In above example we create namespace of College, inside namespace of college we

create namespace of students in that we import System namespace and inside student
namespace we create class of Addstudents to

14
 add new students in college. In this way we create an hierarchy of namespace
and create class. This namespace we can import and reuse in any other
application.

Garbage Collection

Garbage collection is a fundamental aspect of memory management in the

.NET Framework. It is an automatic process that relieves developers from the
burden of manual memory allocation and deallocation, allowing them tofocus on
application logic rather than memory management details.

The garbage collector provides the following benefits:

✓ Frees developers from having to manually release memory.

✓ Allocates objects on the managed heap efficiently.

✓ Reclaims objects that are no longer being used, clears their memory,and
keeps the memory available for future allocations. Managed objects
automatically get clean content to start with, so their constructors don't haveto
initialize every data field.

✓ Provides memory safety by making sure that an object cannot use the
content of another object.