What is .Net Development?

What Is .Net? | .Net Solutions | Integration | Home

.NET is a set of Microsoft software technologies for connecting information, people, systems and devices. It enables a high level of software integration through the use of XML Web services - small, discrete, building-block applications that connect to each other as well as to other, larger applications over the Internet.

.NET is Microsoft's programming model for developing, deploying, and running Web services and applications. Web services are units of code that allow programs written in different programming languages, and on different platforms, to communicate and share data through standard Internet protocols such as XML, SOAP, Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI).

The common language runtime and class libraries are at the center of the .NET Framework. The common language runtime manages memory, security and language integration. It also helps simplify code development and application deployment while improving application reliability. The bulk of this work is handled transparently, simplifying the work of IT administrators. In addition, features of the common language runtime - strong type naming, cross-language exception handling, lifetime management, and dynamic binding - dramatically reduce the amount of code a developer must write.

Class libraries supply the resources needed to build applications with XML support, networking, and data-access features. Because the classes are unified, developers can build both Microsoft Windows-based and Web-based applications, enhancing their productivity and code reuse in the process.

One of the toughest deployment issues developers and IT professionals face involves dynamic-link libraries (DLLs). It starts when multiple applications attempt to share a common component like a DLL or a Component Object Model (COM) class. When a new application is installed, the components for the new application may overwrite components of an existing application, causing the existing application to function incorrectly or stop functioning completely.

Typically, one application will install a new version of the shared component that is not backwards compatible with the version already on the computer. Although the newly introduced application will work fine, existing applications that depended on a previous version of the shared component may no longer work.

Through the use of side-by-side deployment, the .NET Framework solves the problem of overwriting files. Side-by-side deployment allows multiple versions of an assembly to be installed and to run simultaneously on the same computer. Authors aren't restricted to maintaining backward compatibility because different applications can use different versions of a shared component. Each application can request to use a specific version of that assembly. Version information is recorded through the common language runtime between pieces of an application. At run time, the common language runtime refers to the recorded information to ensure the proper version of a dependency is loaded.

By isolating application assemblies, applications always load the components with which they were built and tested. An assembly can be accessed by only one application; it is not shared by multiple applications on the same computer. Therefore, it cannot be affected by changes made to the system by other applications.

.NET-enabled applications are self-contained and can be installed easily using XCOPY. This makes it possible to install desktop applications on client computers using a remote Web server. Actual deployment involves packaging developer code and distributing the packages to the clients and servers on which the application will run. The .NET Framework eliminates any dependency on the registry, which makes installation, removal, and replication much easier. You can deploy many applications by just copying file sets to disk and running them. To remove or replicate the applications, you can simply delete the files or copy over them.

Top

about sharp approach | crm solutions | .net development | web design | site map

Sharp Approach, Inc. is a St. Louis business solutions company specializing in the installation and service of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. For more than 10 years, Sharp Approach has maintained its status as the market and technology leader for CRM in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Chicago. Through its award-winning family of CRM products, including Microsoft CRM, Sage CRM, and SalesLogix, Sharp Approach provides a comprehensive suite of CRM applications to help enterprises of every size and industry throughout the midwest meet the complex challenge of managing and sharing information. With partner companies Dynamic Approach and Sharp Connection, Sharp Approach can also offer an all-inclusive library of business solutions that include website design, web hosting and corporate cultural strategies that will stimulate growth and productivity. For more information, or to schedule a live demo of any of our CRM products, please call 314-469-3565 or visit our contact page.