The .NET Framework is an integral Windows component that supports building and running the next generation of applications and XML Web services. The .NET Framework is designed to fulfill the following objectives:

• To provide a consistent object-oriented programming environment whether object code is stored and executed locally, executed locally but Internet-distributed, or executed remotely.
• To provide a code-execution environment that minimizes software deployment and versioning conflicts.
• To provide a code-execution environment that promotes safe execution of code, including code created by an unknown or semi-trusted third party.
• To provide a code-execution environment that eliminates the performance problems of scripted or interpreted environments.
• To make the developer experience consistent across widely varying types of applications, such as Windows-based applications and Web-based applications.
• To build all communication on industry standards to ensure that code based on the .NET Framework can integrate with any other code.

The .NET Framework has two main components: the common language runtime and the .NET Framework class library. The common language runtime is the foundation of the .NET Framework. Read more...

The content for the Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.0, provides you with a set of managed Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), documentation, samples, and tools that allow you to create a wide variety of applications for Windows. At a high level, .NET Framework 3.0 consists of these basic components:

• .NET Framework
• Microsoft® Windows® Communication Foundation
• Microsoft® Windows® Presentation Foundation
• Microsoft® Windows® Workflow Foundation

.NET Framework

The core API contains classes that are shared by all types of .NET Framework 3.0 applications.They are largely part of the System namespace as well as descendants such as System.Collections. The .NET Framework APIs include support for:

• Basic value and reference types, such as Int32, String, and Uri
• Collections and Data Structures
• Data
• Graphics and Drawing
• Input/Output
• Basic networking
• Security
• Threading and runtime services

The .NET Framework also provides support for creating Web applications and Windows applications. ASP.NET is a unified Web platform that provides all the services needed to build enterprise-class Web applications. The classes that make up the API are largely part of the System.Web namespace, or its descendants. Read more...

Many ISV’s, enterprises and even our own Microsoft product teams are successfully building on the new features WF, WCF, WPF and CardSpace in the .NET Framework 3.0. Microsoft plans to continue to invest in the .NET Framework developer platform and in support of existing users the .NET Framework 3.5 has no serious breaking changes so existing applications built for .NET Framework 2.0 or .NET Framework 3.0 will continue to execute. The .NET Framework 3.5 adds new features in several major technology areas.

1. Integration of Language Integrated Query (LINQ) and data awareness
2. Support for Web 2.0 AJAX style applications and services in ASP.NET and WCF
3. Full tooling support for WF, WCF and WPF including the new workflow-enabled services technology
4. New classes in the base class library (BCL) for the .NET Framework 3.5 address the most common customer requests

.NET Framework 3.5 will ship with Visual Studio codename ”Orcas” and will be available for separate download from MSDN. Read more....