MCPD Certification

As interaction between new and older applications is generally required, the .NET Framework provides ways to access functionality that is implemented in programs execute outside the .NET environment. Access to COM components is provided in the System.Runtime.InteropServices and System.EnterpriseServices namespaces of the .NET Framework. Access to other functionality is provided using the Platform Invocation Services (P/Invoke) feature.

The Common Language Runtime (CLR) is the virtual machine component of the .NET Framework. All .NET programs execute under the administration of the CLR, promising assured properties and behaviors in the areas of memory management, security, and exception handling.

The .NET Framework introduces a Common Type System (CTS). It specifically defines all possible datatypes and programming constructs supported by the CLR and how they might or might not interact with each other. For the reason that of this feature, the .NET Framework supports the exchange of instances of types between programs written in any of the .NET languages.

The Base Class Library (BCL) is part of the Framework Class Library (FCL), is a library of functionality available to all languages using the .NET Framework. The BCL provides classes, which encapsulate a number of common functions, including file reading and writing, graphic rendering, database interaction, and XML document manipulation.

The .NET Framework comprises design features and tools that assist manage the installation of computer software to make sure that it does not get in the way with previously installed software, and that it conforms to security requirements.

The design is intended to address some of the vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows that have been exploited by malicious software. Additionally, .NET provides a common security model for all applications.

The design of the .NET Framework allows it to hypothetically be platform agnostic, and thus cross-platform compatible. As a program written to use the framework should run without change on any type of system for which the framework is implemented. Microsoft’s commercial implementations of the framework cover Windows, Windows CE, and the Xbox 360. In addition, Microsoft submits the specifications for the Common Language Infrastructure (which includes the core class libraries, Common Type System, and the Common Intermediate Language), the C# language, and the C++/CLI language to both ECMA and the ISO, making them available as open standards. This composes it achievable for third parties to create compatible implementations of the framework and its languages on other platforms.