.NET Architecture:--

1. .NET Architecture:--

2. In the .Net Architecture .Net Languages are the Top tier. • .NET Languages are VB.NET , C# , J#, C++, Python, COBOL etc…. • The Common Language Runtimes is the Bottom Tier. • Common Language runtimes (CLR) works Closely with the operating Environment to manage .NET applications and provides essential services. • It manages memory, and ensure that applications are well behaved and much more. • The .Net framework is partitioned into modules, each with its own distinct responsibility.

3. Common Language Specification (CLS):-- • The CLS is a common platform that integrates code and components from multiple .NET programming languages. In other words, a .NET application can be written in multiple programming languages with no extra work by the developer. • .NET includes new object-oriented programming languages such as C#, Visual Basic .NET, J# and Managed C++. These languages, plus other experimental languages like F#, all compile to the Common Language Specification and can work together in the same application.

4. Framework Class Library (FCL) :-- • The FCL is a collection of over 7000 classes and data types that enable .NET applications to read and write files, access databases, process XML, display a graphical user interface, draw graphics, use Web services, etc. • The .NET Framework Class Library (FCL) is a set of managed classes that provide access to system services. File input/output, sockets, database access, remoting, and XML are just some of the services available in the FCL. Importantly, all the .NET languages rely on the same managed classes for the same services. This is one of the reasons that, once you have learned any .NET language, you have learned 40 percent of every other managed language. The same classes, methods, parameters, and types are used for system services regardless of the language. This is one of the most important contributions of FCL.

5. Common Language Runtime (CLR) :-- • The CLR is the execution engine for .NET applications and serves as the interface between .NET applications and the operating system. The CLR provides many services such as: • Loads and executes code • Converts intermediate language to native machine code • Separates processes and memory • Manages memory and objects • Handles exceptions • Interfaces between managed code, COM objects, and DLLs • Provides type-checking • Provides profiling, debugging, etc.

6. Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) :- • MSIL : (Microsoft Intermediate language) or IL(Intermediate Language) is machine independent code generated by .NET framework after the compilation of program written in any language by you. • MSIL or IL is now known as CIL(Common Intermediate Language). • MSIL is the CPU-independent instruction set into which .NET Framework programs are compiled. It contains instructions for loading, storing, initializing, and calling methods on objects. • When compiling to managed code, the compiler translates your source code into Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL), which is a CPU-independent set of instructions that can be efficiently converted to native code.(Source MSDN)

7. Just-In-Time Compiler (JIT) :-- • just-in-time compilation (JIT), also known as dynamic translation, is a method to improve the runtime performance of computer programs. Historically, computer programs had two modes of runtime operation, either interpreted or static (ahead-of-time) compilation. Interpreted code is translated from a high-level language to a machine code continuously during every execution, whereas statically compiled code is translated into machine code before execution, and only requires this translation once. • JIT compilers represent a hybrid approach, with translation occurring continuously, as with interpreters, but with caching of translated code to minimize performance degradation. It also offers other advantages over statically compiled code at development time, such as handling of late-bound data types and the ability to enforce security guarantees.

8. Visual Studio .NET IDE :-- • Visual Studio .NET IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is the Development Environment for all .NET based applications which comes with rich features. VS .NET IDE provides many options and is packed with many features that simplify application development by handling the complexities. Visual Studio .NET IDE is an enhancement to all previous IDE’s by Microsoft. • An integrated development environment (IDE), also known as integrated design environment and integrated debugging environment, is a type of computer software that assists computer programmers to develop software. In the case of Visual Basic .NET, that IDE is Visual Studio.

9. IDE Contents :-- • The Visual Studio IDE consists of several sections, or tools, that the developer uses while programming. As you view the IDE for a new project you generally have Four sections in view: • The Toolbox on the left • The Solution Explorer on the right • The Property window • The Code / Design view in the middle

10. Toolbox :The Toolbox is a palette of developer objects, or controls, that are placed on forms or web pages, and then code is added to allow the user to interact with them. An example would be TextBox, Button and ListBox controls. With these three controls added to a Windows Form object the developer could write code that would take text, input by the application user, and added to the ListBox after the button was clicked. • Solution Explorer : This is a section that is used to view and modify the contents of the project. A Visual Studio Windows Application Project will generally have a Form object with a code page, references to System components and possibly other modules with special code that is used by the application. • Properties Windows : The properties windows shows all the control (like textbox) properties to be change at design time. Most of this properties can be change at run time with some code, but basically most of this properties change the way the control is display on your application. • Code / Design view : This is where the magic takes place. Forms are designed graphically. In other words, the developer has a form on the screen that can be sized and modified to look the way it will be displayed to the application users. Controls are added to the form from the Toolbox, the color and caption can be changed along with many other items. • This center window of the IDE is also where developers write the code that makes everything in the application work. The code is written in modules, or files, that are either connected to an object (Forms) or called specifically when needed.

11. Features of IDE :-- • One IDE for all .NET Projects Visual Studio .NET IDE provides a single environment for developing all types of .NET applications. Application’s range from single windows applications to complex n-tier applications and rich web applications. • Option to choose from Multiple Programming Languages You can choose the programming language of your choice to develop applications based on your expertise in that language. You can also incorporate multiple programming languages in one .NET solution and edit that with the IDE. • IDE is Customizable You can customize the IDE based on your preferences. The My Profile settings allow you to do this. With these settings you can set the IDE screen the way you want, the way the keyboard behaves and you can also filter the help files based on the language of your choice. • Built-in Browser The IDE comes with a built-in browser that helps you browse the Internet without launching another application. You can look for additional resources, online help files, source codes and much more with this built-in browser feature.

12. When we open VS .NET from Start->Programs->Microsoft Visual Studio .NET->Microsoft Visual Studio .NET the window that is displayed first is the Start Page which is shown below.

13. The IDE shown in the image below is what we actually work with. This IDE is shared by all programming languages in Visual Studio. You can view the toolbars towards the left side of the image along with the Solution Explorer window towards the right.

14. New Project Dialogue Box • The New Project dialogue box like the one in the image below is used to create a new project specifying it's type allowing us to name the project and also specify it's location on the disk where it is saved. The default location on the hard disk where all the projects are saved is • C:\ Documents and Settings\ Administrator\ My Documents\Visual Studio Projects.

15. Following are different templates under Project Types and their use. • Windows Application: This template allows to create standard windows based applications. • Class Library: Class libraries are those that provide functionality similar to Active X and DLL by creating classes that access other applications. • Windows Control Library: This allows to create our own windows controls. Also called as User Controls, where you group some controls, add it to the toolbox and make it available to other projects. • ASP .NET Web Application: This allows to create web-based applications using IIS. We can create web pages, rich web applications and web services. • ASP .NET Web Service: Allows to create XML Web Services. • Web Control Library: Allows to create User-defined controls for the Web. Similar to user defined windows controls but these are used for Web. • Console Application: A new kind of application in Visual Studio .NET. They are command line based applications. • Windows Service: These run continuously regardless of the user interaction. They are designed for special purpose and once written, will keep running and come to an end only when the system is shut down. • Other: This template is to develop other kinds of applications like enterprise applications, database applications etc.