The precept behind the .NET platform is that the world of computing is changing from one of PCs connected to servers through networks such as the Internet, to one where all manner of smart devices, computers, and services work together to provide a richer user experience.
The .NET platform is Microsoft’sanswer to the challenges this change will provide for software developers.
The .NET platform has several components—however, who you ask will probablyaffect the answer you receive. Servers such as BizTalk and SQL Server, as wellas services such as Hailstorm and its first visible component, Passport, are beingdescribed by some as integral parts of the .
NET platform. However, for many of us,the .NET Framework is what we think of when .NET is mentioned. It includes Visual Studio.NET (VS.NET), the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR), and the .NET Base Class Libraries.The other components may be required by
specific applications, but they are not a necessary part of all .NET applications.
Looking at the overall architecture, .NET consists of three primarycomponents:
