How is .Net Used in Software Development?

.Net Framework is one of the most popular platforms in the tech world. Due to the wide list of solutions it provides, it helps businesses to improve performance and stay on top of the market competition. This article covers the main features of the .Net framework and answers the question why so many companies choose it for application development.

What is .Net?

.Net is an open-source developer platform created by Microsoft. It uses a vast choice of languages and tools to develop and run different kinds of applications such as mobile, web, desktop and others. .Net platform has three main elements: .Net Core, Xamarin/Mono, and .Net Framework.

.Net Core is an open-source and free cross-platform that operates on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Xamarin and Mono are the tools that help developers to create native-like applications on .Net for any operating system. With access to more libraries and APIs they make apps more efficient and full-featured.
.Net Framework is used for the development of web apps, desktop apps, and other applications on Windows. It stands on two main components: Framework Class Library (FCL) and Common Language Runtime (CLR).

FCL is a rich library of classes that offers a great choice of reusable solutions helping developers to build more feature-rich and consistent applications. FCL for .Net software development is presented in the form of namespaces that support all the .Net technologies such as ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Windows Workflow, Windows Forms, and others. FCL also provides many cross-language solutions supporting interoperability, so each programming language can use the code of the others presented on the framework.

Common Language Runtime is an executive environment responsible for program performance. CLR offers some extra services as well such as:

Garbage collection
Memory management
Type-safety and security management
Exceptional handling, etc.

What Languages Can Developers Use to Write in .Net?

.Net is a language-neutral platform that supports the majority of basic programming languages. The leading ones are C#, F#, and Visual Basic.

According to Pypl, C# is in the top 5 most popular programming languages. This modern and improved language allows building highly-secure, robust and scalable applications.

F# is a programming language that covers imperative, functional, and object-oriented methods. It is mostly used for cross-platform .Net development.

Visual Basic is a programming language and environment which derives from BASIC. It is an event-driven and object-oriented language. By using it developers can change the code by dragging and dropping objects and evaluating their behavior. Visual Basic makes the process of .Net application development much simpler and faster.

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What Types of Projects Can Be Developed Using .Net?

.Net uses a big choice of tools, libraries, and languages helping developers meet different challenges.

This platform responds to the needs of big companies and enterprises that require sophisticated solutions for their large-scale projects. .Net can be used to develop robust desktop, mobile, web, and other types of applications. Its cross-platform features allow building adaptable, scalable, and highly-efficient apps in the shortest time and with reasonable expenses.

.Net has an impressive list of companies that use it for development of their websites such as Microsoft, Dell, Accenture, GoDaddy, Samsung, and others.

Why Choose .Net?

.Net is one of the leading frameworks in the market now and here are some reasons why it is worth choosing:

Compatibility. .Net framework is a universal platform that supports different types of apps and an expansive range of systems. Applications developed on the .Net technology can work on all the main systems such as Android, Windows, iOS, etc.
Interoperability. Developers can create apps using the language they prefer since .Net provides a big choice of compatible working languages.
Integrity. .Net is an old market player that has always been known for consistency and reliability. The name of Microsoft as its creator gives even more confidence in its services.
Cross-platform features. .Net allows its apps to run on various platforms without any difficulties. .Net compiler takes the code written by programmers in any language and transforms it into a machine language understood by any system.
Security. ASP.Net as a platform for web development provides strong security solutions. A collection of security tools prevents any fraud and cyber attacks. One of the safety features is the authentication division provided in two ways: forms and windows. Forms secure data for external systems while windows protect the information of Windows users.
Support. .Net offers developers a large ecosystem with access to a wide community and organizational support, where it is possible to find answers to the majority of questions.
CLR. .Net Framework offers a large class library with a vast assortment of ready-to-use code that facilitates the development process and makes it time-efficient.
Memory management. Due to its Common Language Runtime .Net Framework can free up some memory resources with the help of the Garbage Collector.
Efficiency. .Net provides its users with dynamic IDE, common APIs, a big choice of tools and languages for highly-productive, and robust app development.
Open-source. .Net is a free and open-source platform that includes over 60,000 developers from 3,700 companies among which there are such tech giants as Google, Samsung, and others. It means that they all foster platform development. Moreover, they form a large and knowledgeable community able to face any challenges.

Summing Up

.Net is a powerful platform that includes a great variety of features beneficial for many developers. It allows building any type of apps running on various systems which makes it cost-cutting and time-efficient. As an open-source platform, it ensures its developers with a large community and significant support. .Net is highly-secure and prepared for any critical situation. It supports a vast number of programming languages thus making it desirable for many developers.