What does ".NET" application mean ?

[Al Dykes]

What does it mean to be a ".NET application ? I'm sort of aware that
..NET is web-based services, authentication, and, I'm sure, lots of
other things. I associate it with MS's late, unlamented passport
system.

For a stand-alone application with no obvious net awareness, what does
it mean ? I'm looking at a MS-funded Photoshop-killer Paint.NET
shareware project.

http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/

I also see the python system from Activestate.com is described as
being a .NET package.

I know there is a runtime DLL for .NET. Is that primarily
used by C# ?

What does it mean to say that .NET is installed on a client machine ?
Is it just the dll ?

Thanks

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Al Dykes" asked:

What does it mean to be a ".NET application ?

It's an application that was written and compiled
to run with MS's .NET Framework, which includes
a runtime environment with a virtual machine that
runs the byte code that are the compiled applications.

I know there is a runtime DLL for .NET. Is that primarily
used by C# ?

There is a growing list of .NET compliant languages.
It started out with VB.NET and C# and J# (a Java-like
language) and C++.NET, and there are currently a few
others in development by MS and by 3rd parties. I've
heard of COBOL.NET, but that might just be a joke.

What does it mean to say that .NET is installed on a
client machine ?

It means that the .NET Framework is installed. It's
downloadable free from Microsoft at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/framework1_1redist/

*TimDaniels*

 

[Al Dykes]

"Al Dykes" asked:


It's an application that was written and compiled
to run with MS's .NET Framework, which includes
a runtime environment with a virtual machine that
runs the byte code that are the compiled applications.




There is a growing list of .NET compliant languages.
It started out with VB.NET and C# and J# (a Java-like
language) and C++.NET, and there are currently a few
others in development by MS and by 3rd parties. I've
heard of COBOL.NET, but that might just be a joke.




It means that the .NET Framework is installed. It's
downloadable free from Microsoft at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/downloads/framework1_1redist/

*TimDaniels*

Hi, TIm;

So what's in the .NET framework; a DLL ?

With all due respect, this is kind of a self-referentional
answer.

What does a non-networked application get from being compiled
in the framework ?

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Al Dykes" pressed:

So what's in the .NET framework; a DLL ?

With all due respect, this is kind of a self-referentional
answer.

What does a non-networked application get from being compiled
in the framework ?

The Framework is the body of class definitions and compilers
and a runtime environment which includes the virtual machine.
The class libraries exist in .dll form, I believe, and so do the
compiled application programs. They contain code that is
executed by the virutual machine, though, not a CPU chip.
The advantage is that only a single set of class libraries and a
single runtime environment and virtual machine are needed -
which can run on any CPU chip to which the .NET software
has been ported since all the .NET languages compile to the
same virtual machine instruction set. Therefore, application
developers can choose the language most appropriate for their
application (or most familiar to them) but still use the same
proven underlying software on any delopment machines and
on any customers' target machines. This portability and
hardware independence had previously been the advantage
of Java, which Microsoft wanted enough to lead it to invest in
development of the .NET Framework. The bottom line is
supposed to be short development time for application
programmers.

There is a fast-growing body of information concerning the .NET
Framework, and there are whole websites devoted to developers
who use it. A search at Google will turn up tons of stuff.

*TimDaniels*