The Microsoft .NET Framework is a component without which some programs may not work. More specifically, it is a platform that provides a wide range of services for the applications that are written under it. It consists of 2 main parts: CLR (runtime environment for all popular programming languages) and .NET Framework Class Library (libraries with ready-made functions that can be called from the program). The main advantages of the .NET Framework for programmers are
Memory management
The Microsoft .NET Framework simplifies development by providing a rich set of pre-built functions and memory management.
In many programming languages, developers are responsible for allocating and clearing memory for objects. In .NET Framework applications, CLR provides these services on behalf of the application.
Universal data types
In traditional programming languages, data types are defined by the compiler, while the .NET Framework makes data types universal for all applications written for it.
Large library database
Instead of writing hundreds or thousands of lines of code to handle typical operations, you can use many ready-made functions from libraries.
Convenient development environment
The platform contains libraries for specific areas of application development: ASP.NET for web applications, ADO.NET for databases, Windows Communication Foundation for service applications.
Language compatibility
The compilers of the languages that create programs for this runtime environment emulate a code called Common Intermediate Language (CIL), which is also compiled during the CLR runtime. With this function, routine codes written in one language can be made available to other languages, and the developer's efficiency is improved.
Version compatibility
With a few exceptions, applications written for earlier versions of the .NET Framework will work well with newer versions.