.NET Runtime & Framework
Understand the .NET ecosystem, runtime, and framework components. This is a foundational concept in Microsoft application framework that professional developers rely on daily. The explanations below are written to be beginner-friendly while covering the depth and nuance that comes from real-world .NET experience. Take your time with each section and practice the examples
50 min•By Priygop Team•Last updated: Feb 2026
What is .NET?
.NET is a free, cross-platform, open-source developer platform for building many different types of applications. It provides a consistent development experience across different platforms and programming languages.
.NET Components
- .NET Runtime: Executes .NET applications
- .NET Framework: Original Windows-only framework
- .NET Core: Cross-platform, open-source framework
- .NET 5+: Unified platform (now just called .NET)
- Base Class Library (BCL): Common functionality
- Common Language Runtime (CLR): Execution environment
.NET Versions and Evolution
Example
Evolution of .NET:
.NET Framework (2002-2022)
- Windows-only
- Proprietary
- Mature and stable
- Legacy applications
.NET Core (2016-2020)
- Cross-platform
- Open-source
- High performance
- Cloud-optimized
.NET 5+ (2020-Present)
- Unified platform
- Cross-platform
- Open-source
- Modern development
Current Version: .NET 8 (LTS)
- Released: November 2023
- Long-term support
- Performance improvements
- New features and APIsCreating a .NET Project
Example
// Create a new console application
dotnet new console -n MyFirstApp
// Navigate to project directory
cd MyFirstApp
// Run the application
dotnet run
// Build the application
dotnet build
// Publish the application
dotnet publish -c Release
// Add a package
dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
// Restore packages
dotnet restore