Somebody give me the lowdown on .NET Framework

[Caged Anger]

I don't know what it is, but winupdate says i need it, downloads it, then won't install it. Whats goin on?

[SALvation]

.NET Framework is basically a set of classes and objects for Windows that will let you run applications that were developed using the .NET language. That's the easiest way to put it. For example, if I want to develop a web application in .NET, I have to install the framework so that I can run it on my machine.

[BobtheCkroach]

To further delve into SAL's reply, .NET is a proprientary framework that Microsoft created. It allows all of MS's languages (C++.NET, VB.NET, ASP.NET, C#.NET, etc) to all be interworkable easily, since they all use the same basic framework and class libraries. That's a good thing (if you program Windows, anyways). In the .NET framework, programs are not truly compiled, but compiled into byte code which is then interpreted by the Virtual Machine (an idea taken from Java, which is free...and turned proprietary for funds...thanx again, Billy Boy). Anyways, you have to have the Virtual Machine on your comp to run .NET software, the same way you have to download the Java Virtual Machine and class library to run Java programs / Java Applets. Currently, it's not a real big deal, as any software that you purchase would probably come with that on the CD, so basically the only thing you have to consider is if you have downloaded anything that would require it (such as an MS update, perhaps).

Is that enough? Did I screw it up at all?

[Death Engineer]

A third view:

The .NET framework is similar to the VB Runtime library in that it enables you to run programs compiled by a specific language. As mentioned, the compiled program is actually byte code and is therefore more portable (why MS is going portable, we may never know ... Linux .NET exists though).

The bottom line: Any application that uses .NET would let you know when you install it and send you over to MS to download it (if it isn't included with the software). So I wouldn't worry about that particular update.

PS. I make my living coding in C# .NET. :thumbs:

[JIMINATOR]

why MS is going portable, we may never know ...some little thing called java... gives bill some bargaining power against sun, especially considering all the lawsuits. I can't say that it is popular though.

[Caged Anger]

lawsuits? Nopw why would anyone want to sue Bill??????? lol ;-)