Introduction of .NET Framework
Microsoft has a time-honored reputation for creating innovative technologies and wrapping
them in buzzwords that confuse everyone. The .NET Framework is the latest example—it’s
been described as a feeble Java clone, a meaningless marketing term, and an attempt to take
over the Internet with proprietary technology. But none of these descriptions is truly accurate.
.NET is actually a cluster of technologies—some revolutionary, some not—that are
designed to help developers build a variety of different types of applications. Developers can
use the .NET Framework to build rich Windows applications, long-running services, and even
command-line tools. Of course, if you’re reading this book you’re most interested in using
.NET to craft web applications. You’ll use a specific subset of the .NET Framework called
ASP.NET, and you’ll work with one of .NET’s core languages: C#.
