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The .NET Framework

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

The .NET Framework

The .NET Framework is a new computing platform designed to simplify application development in the highly distributed environment of the Internet. The .NET Framework has several main components: the common language runtime, the .NET Framework class library, and the runtime hosts. The common language runtime is the foundation of the .NET Framework. It manages code execution and provides core services such as memory management, thread management, and remote execution. The .NET Framework class library is a comprehensive, object-oriented collection of reusable classes that you can use to develop a wide range of applications, including ASP.NET applications and XML Web services. The .NET Framework also provides several runtime hosts, including Windows Forms and ASP.NET, which work directly with the runtime to provide a scalable, server-side environment for managed code. The .NET Framework is installed by default with Windows Server 2003 operating systems.

For more information about the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework at the Microsoft Web site.

Notes

  • This feature is not available on the Itanium-based versions of the Windows operating systems.

  • For more information about using the .NET Framework, open a command prompt, and then type:

    start %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\<LCID>\Admin.chm

    where <LCID> is the locale identifier. For example, if you are using an English language installation of the .NET Framework, type:

    start %systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\1033\Admin.chm

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.