Components of .Net Framework, CLR, CTS, CLS, Base Class Library

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Components of .Net Framework

There are many articles are available in the web on this topic; I just want to add one more article over the web by explaining Components of .Net Framework.

Components of .Net Framework

Net Framework is a platform that provides tools and technologies to develop Windows, Web and Enterprise applications. It mainly contains two components,

1. Common Language Runtime (CLR)

2. .Net Framework Class Library.

1. Common Language Runtime (CLR)

.Net Framework provides runtime environment called Common Language Runtime (CLR).It provides an environment to run all the .Net Programs. The code which runs under the CLR is called as Managed Code. Programmers need not to worry on managing the memory if the programs are running under the CLR as it provides memory management and thread management.

Programmatically, when our program needs memory, CLR allocates the memory for scope and de-allocates the memory if the scope is completed.

Language Compilers (e.g. C#, VB.Net, J#) will convert the Code/Program to Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) intern this will be converted to Native Code by CLR. See the below Fig.

There are currently over 15 language compilers being built by Microsoft and other companies also producing the code that will execute under CLR.

2. .Net Framework Class Library (FCL)

This is also called as Base Class Library and it is common for all types of applications i.e. the way you access the Library Classes and Methods in VB.NET will be the same in C#, and it is common for all other languages in .NET.

The following are different types of applications that can make use of .net class library.

1. Windows Application.

2. Console Application

3. Web Application.

4. XML Web Services.

5. Windows Services.

In short, developers just need to import the BCL in their language code and use its predefined methods and properties to implement common and complex functions like reading and writing to file, graphic rendering, database interaction, and XML document manipulation.

Below are the few more concepts that we need to know and understand as part of this .Net framework.

3. Common Type System (CTS)

It describes set of data types that can be used in different .Net languages in common. (i.e), CTS ensures that objects written in different .Net languages can interact with each other.

For Communicating between programs written in any .NET complaint language, the types have to be compatible on the basic level.

The common type system supports two general categories of types:

Value types:

Value types directly contain their data, and instances of value types are either allocated on the stack or allocated inline in a structure. Value types can be built-in (implemented by the runtime), user-defined, or enumerations.

Reference types:

Reference types store a reference to the value's memory address, and are allocated on the heap. Reference types can be self-describing types, pointer types, or interface types. The type of a reference type can be determined from values of self-describing types. Self-describing types are further split into arrays and class types. The class types are user-defined classes, boxed value types, and delegates.

4. Common Language Specification (CLS)

It is a sub set of CTS and it specifies a set of rules that needs to be adhered or satisfied by all language compilers targeting CLR. It helps in cross language inheritance and cross language debugging.

Common language specification Rules:

It describes the minimal and complete set of features to produce code that can be hosted by CLR. It ensures that products of compilers will work properly in .NET environment.

Sample Rules:

1. Representation of text strings

2. Internal representation of enumerations

3. Definition of static members and this is a subset of the CTS which all .NET languages are expected to support.

4. Microsoft has defined CLS which are nothing but guidelines that language to follow so that it can communicate with other .NET languages in a seamless manner.

Below mentioned the .Net Architecture stack for easy understanding.

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Jayanthan JVP

Total Posts 16

DotNet Developer

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Juhi Chauhan

Very helpful article

Vishal

Helpful contain

mohan kumar santha

pretty good explanation but expected little bit explanation on .Net architecture stack. any way awesome information thanks jayanthan.

Piyush Dixit

good content cleared some major doubts

Neelavathi M

very helpful article, content delivery is crisp and clear

Sandip Mansukhani

Very helpful to understand the components

Rashmi M G

Good to understand but it should be in elaborated manner.

SK Alam

Good subjection,

Ashish yadav

Easy way learning nd simple sentence nd follow chart is explain is very easy

sdd

NICE

Asharani Sanjay malagave

Nice

shabeer

good.but, FCL is not called base class library(BCL),FCL is the superset of base class library.

Mohan singh

Thanks for provide norts And it is very important in my life your norts . Thanks you sir .

Mishel

very helpful to understand

Sivaranjini

It's very useful to understand the basic concepts of .net.. thank you. please publish more article regarding .net

Neel

very helpful info to understand basics... Thank you.

Bharat Patel

Good Explain

Pooja Choudhary

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Saima amin

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Sachin

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Isha Gupta

It was very very helpful thank you so much amazing content ????????????????????

chowdary

It is very easy to understand.should explain more about CLS. and CLI.Very Simple article.So,Easy to learn more things..Thank you very much..

Ranjeet Singh

It is very easy to understand.

Richard

Nice articular, should explain more about CLS. and CLI

sagar

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neha

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anupriya

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Riya

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NIKHIL

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monika

your article wording is very clear for understanding each and every component of .net

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andi

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Thanks

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please send me dotnet material.

SHILPIII

VERY ANSWER

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Mansoor

thank you very much,so simply explained .cool

jee

Very useful article. I have few queries. Is CTS is used only by language compilers and CLS is used only by CLR?

kalpana

very nice explanation sir!!! But, I've a query i.e. Is it correct that dotnet supports 70pls languages.

Naveen Roy

Good Explanation sir.. Thanks

Jogendra

Thanks For basic Explanation

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Good Explain

Sridhar

Thanks For Very Clear Explanation

DEVAKI

excellent

Jatin

Hi Jayanthan, The explanation was really very great. cleared all my doubts. Thanks

Lalit pratap

Dear you can't say .Net supported 70 language

ibrahim shaik

Excellent

Swapnil Tikale

Very good and brief information about working of framework components

Priyanka Bhadouria

good site to learn..

Rijo

Nice

deepanshi

it's good article.it provide whole information about .net framework in easy language

Somu

Good article but you should elaborate on CTS

Phenomenal

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thnk you soo muchh sir for the informationn

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BOYDX

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Ruchir andharia

I am very happy to read your about the .net framework component. One point in this article is not clear in terms practicle senario in my mind that is Comman type specification. Please provide good practicle example in terms of different languages so i clears .

amit Kumar Singh

It's nice

Nisha

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Really useful article. Thank You

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riyas

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Murugan

Nice articles... Regards, Murugan Email : muruganprofiles@gmail.com

Mallikarjun S

Nice dude............

Yogesh

useful...

shahma

very clear and simplified explanation of such an important typical concepts..

ShaikhGausiya

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suresh

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Amit Gadhave

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MOHAMED

Provide me with information about vb.net thank you.

preet

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Bhavin Mistry

It is easy to understand provides .net framework 4.0 and content is very easy

Arsh

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ashish.patidar04

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ikale86

this is more helpful for us. thank you

Jayanthan.Jvp

Hi nvibhute777 & nitin.jaware25, I have updated this article and also updated the Rules of CLS. Leave your comment if i missed anything. Thanks.

nantar.takto

laiiii bhari

nvibhute777

this is basic & important point but explin in detail.

nitin.jaware25

may i knw the rules of common language specification? explain exact working of common type system with example?

mangeshtakat

good article. got much of necessary information.

rajeshdhakar786

dia esay to understands

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