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Nbsp;   The Framework Class Library

The .NET Framework includes the Framework Class Library (FCL). The FCL is a set of DLL assemblies that contain several thousand type definitions in which each type exposes some functionality. Microsoft is producing additional libraries such as the Windows Azure SDK and the DirectX SDK. These additional libraries provide even more types, exposing even more functionality for your use. In fact, Microsoft is producing many libraries at a phenomenal rate, making it easier than ever for developers to use vari- ous Microsoft technologies.

Here are just some of the kinds of applications developers can create by using these assemblies:

 

Web servicesMethods that can process messages sent over the Internet very easily using Microsoft’s ASP.NET XML Web Service technology or Microsoft’s Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) technology.

Web Forms/MVC HTML-based applications (websites) Typically, ASP.NET applications will make database queries and web service calls, combine and filter the returned information, and then present that information in a browser by using a rich HTML-based user interface.

Rich Windows GUI applicationsInstead of using a webpage to create your application’s UI, you can use the more powerful, higher-performance functionality offered by Windows Store, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), or Windows Forms technologies. GUI applications can take advantage of controls, menus, and touch, mouse, stylus, and keyboard events, and they can exchange information directly with the underlying operating system. Rich Windows applications can also make database queries and consume web services.

Windows console applicationsFor applications with very simple UI demands, a console application provides a quick and easy way to build an application. Compilers, utilities, and tools are typically implemented as console applications.

Windows servicesYes, it is possible to build service applications that are controllable via the Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) by using the .NET Framework.

Database stored proceduresMicrosoft’s SQL Server, IBM’s DB2, and Oracle’s database servers allow developers to write their stored procedures by using the .NET Framework.

Component libraryThe .NET Framework allows you to build stand-alone assemblies (com- ponents) containing types that can be easily incorporated into any of the previously men- tioned application types.

       
   
 
 

 

Because the FCL contains literally thousands of types, a set of related types is presented to the de- veloper within a single namespace. For example, the System namespace (which you should become


most familiar with) contains the Object base type, from which all other types ultimately derive. In addition, the System namespace contains types for integers, characters, strings, exception handling, and console I/O as well as a bunch of utility types that convert safely between data types, format data types, generate random numbers, and perform various math functions. All applications will use types from the System namespace.



To access any of the framework’s features, you need to know which namespace contains the types that expose the facilities you’re after. A lot of types allow you to customize their behavior; you do so by simply deriving your own type from the desired FCL type. The object-oriented nature of the platform is how the .NET Framework presents a consistent programming paradigm to software developers. Also, developers can easily create their own namespaces containing their own types. These namespaces and types merge seamlessly into the programming paradigm. Compared to Win32 programming para- digms, this new approach greatly simplifies software development.

Most of the namespaces in the FCL present types that can be used for any kind of application. Table 1-3 lists some of the more general namespaces and briefly describes what the types in that namespace are used for. This is a very small sampling of the namespaces available. Please see the documentation that accompanies the various Microsoft SDKs to gain familiarity with the ever-grow- ing set of namespaces that Microsoft is producing.

 

TABLE 1-3Some General FCL Namespaces

 

Namespace Description of Contents
System All of the basic types used by every application
System.Data Types for communicating with a database and processing data
System.IO Types for doing stream I/O and walking directories and files
System.Net Types that allow for low-level network communications and working with some common Internet protocols
System.Runtime. InteropServices Types that allow managed code to access unmanaged operating system plat- form facilities such as COM components and functions in Win32 or custom DLLs
System.Security Types used for protecting data and resources
System.Text Types to work with text in different encodings, such as ASCII and Unicode
System.Threading Types used for asynchronous operations and synchronizing access to resources
System.Xml Types used for processing Extensible Markup Language (XML) schemas and data

 

This book is about the CLR and about the general types that interact closely with the CLR. So the content of this book is applicable to all programmers writing applications or components that target the CLR. Many other good books exist that cover specific application types such as Web Services, Web Forms/MVC, Windows Presentation Foundation, etc. These other books will give you an excellent start at helping you build your application. I tend to think of these application-specific books as helping you learn from the top down because they concentrate on the application type and not on the devel- opment platform. In this book, I’ll offer information that will help you learn from the bottom up. After reading this book and an application-specific book, you should be able to easily and proficiently build any kind of application you desire.



Date: 2016-03-03; view: 564


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