| Technology / .NET |
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"Microsoft .NET is a set of software technologies for connecting
information, people, systems, and devices. This new generation of technology is
based on Web services—small building-block applications that can connect to each
other as well as to other, larger applications over the Internet."
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The Microsoft .NET Framework provides a new infrastructure for managing
application execution. Central to the .NET Framework is the Common
Language Runtime (CLR), which provides a number of operating system services
like memory management, garbage collection and structured error handling.
These services improve the reliability of .NET applications, and address
a number of the shortcomings of Windows applications based on
the Component Object Model (COM).
.NET applications can be written using a number of languages, including
Visual Basic, managed C++, C# and JScript. All of these languages conform to a
Common Language Specification and Common Type System (CTS), which makes
it possible to share .NET functionality in a consistent and reliable
way. MicroMac have taken advantage of this improved interoperability
to integrate a generic security component developed using VB.NET with a
DNC Machine Tool
application developed using C#.
The .NET architecture moves much of the functionality from the programming
language to the .NET Framework class library. The .NET Framework class
library exposes a massive collection of classes for accessing the operating
system, the network, databases, the file system and other resources.
Although these resources were generally accessible in the past,
they were often based on disparate Applicaton Programming Interfaces (API)
with specific calling mechanisms and protocols. The .NET Framework organises
all of these classes into a cohesive, logical namespace structure.
An important feature of .NET is ASP.NET, which is the successor to
Active Server Pages (ASP). ASP applications are developed using a scripting
language and interpreted at runtime, whereas ASP.NET uses a standard .NET
language which is deployed as a compiled assembly. As well as improving
performance, the .NET languages provide the application with full access
to the .NET Framework class library and strongly typed variable declaration,
helping to reduce run-time errors.
ASP.NET is designed to meet the challanges of internet development through
the use of web services and server-based controls. Server-based controls
generate HTML based on the capabilities of the requesting browser or device.
Web services are applications which respond to an HTTP query in the form
of a structured XML packet. Web services allow data to be exchanged across
the internet using established protocols and technologies. The web service
can implement a simple function like a currency converter, or provide a
complete set of functions to support a web-based application.
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