Just what is Dot Net from Microsoft?

Question

I no computer whizz, but I do know my way round stuff pretty well on a pc.

However, Just what IS dot Net, and what does it do?

I haven't got a Danny la Rue! and anywhere I look is littered with really (and I mean REALLY) technichal crud. An answer in plain English would be much appreciated!

Ta!

Answer 1

I'll try to put it in simple terms. The main people that need to worry about .NET are computer programmers. For example:

- Web designers use ASP.NET to build websites.
- Software developers use Visual Basic .NET and C++.NET to build computer programs, usually with a GUI.

More than that, though, these different .NET languages can actually work together, hence the ".NET" name. It's sort of like a marketing tactic.

To get a little more technical, .NET is Microsoft's alternative to Java, sort of. For example:
- Java provides "built-in" objects to solve common tasks. The .NET Framework provides the same things.
- Java programs written on different platforms can run anywhere because of a unifying "JVM". Similarly, programs written in different .NET languages (VBasic.NET, C++.NET, etc.) can run on a single machine because of a unifying CLR.

In a nutshell, though, it's Microsoft's solution to today's programming needs. But it's also a way to suck programmers into using Microsoft's products only. Once you start using .NET, it makes your life easier... but only if you keep using .NET. You'll be in Microsoft's "NET"work, and won't be able to get out! LOL.

Answer 2

I have been programming with dot net for over two years.
(Unlike what some previous poster mentioned - it does not force you to use Internet Explorer)

Quickly, it's Micorosft's answer to java. Like Java dot net has a common language that cna be interepretted by the .net framework (for which a port has already been written for linux so dot net applications can run on linux as long as the framework is inplace)

Secondly, there is an ASP.NET which allows you to take the same programming structure to the web.

Thirdly, it is not a specific language. Although you'll most likely here about C# or VB because these are the language developed with Microsoft.

Last I read there were over 40 languages that could be used in DOT NET applications.

One advantage is that you can have a 40 page application with each application in it's own language.

Answer 3

J4xxs

ummmm. pretty hard without getting to geeky but here goes....

.NET is probably one of the more muddled and mismanaged brands in the history of Microsoft. If you go to microsoft.com it will tell you that ".NET is the Microsoft Web services strategy to connect information, people, systems, and devices through software, blar blar balr" (STOP NOW - I am a sleep already)

But this isn't what most people are thinking of when they say, ".NET." What is commonly referred to as .NET is programming with the .NET Framework.

In Basic terms .NET is a programming langauge that has already Language independenence which is attained through the use of an intermediate language (IL).

What does this means, well instead of code being compiled in actual machine code (code that the CPU would run) - which is normally the case with (C C+ C# etc), it is instead compiled into a high-level generic language. This means that whatever language you write your code in, when you compile it with .NET it will become IL. Since all languages eventually get translated into the intermediate language, the runtime only has to worry about understanding and working with the intermediate language instead of the plethora of languages that you could actually use to write code.

Basically GREAT News for programmers alike - bad NEWs it's form Microsoft.....

Hope this helps

DM

MCP MCSA MCSE+S BIT

Answer 4

It is a proprietary method of doing business over the internet. The main reason it exists is so that Microsoft can use their desktop OS monopoly to force competitor's out and lock users into using their software. That's why dot net requires not only that you use Internet Explorer, but Windows as well. You might think that they would adhere to internet standards to be compatible with all systems, but Microsoft isn't interested in any standards that don't give them an advantage.

Answer 5

I think its just another programming language designed to make web applcations