Whats the point of the microsoft .NET platform??

[yoda313]

I've downloaded the 1.0 .net framework for hdtv2dvd (which didn't work out too well). I'm downloading the update for 2.0.

What exactly is the purpose of this?? Is it a programming language that is needed for certain programs? Why can't they just use the basic windows language? Whats the advantage of .net?

[Faustus]

Its like asking whats the advantage of C++ or VB. I don't have a direct answer for you but I know some things are just easier to do in it. A good friend of mine is a programmer and he seems to like .NET alot even if he expected to hate it when he first took a class on it.

[yoda313]

Oh ok. So its another tool for programmers.

[Faustus]

Oh ok. So its another tool for programmers.

what you have isn't a tool for programmers. Its what allows .NET programs to run on your machine. But in general yeah...

[yoda313]

So the sdk is the actually writing software then? (software developer kit?)

[Faustus]

pretty much

here is some more info

http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics.mspx

[yoda313]

Thanks

[kschang]

Think of it as a very large version of VB Runtime DLL's.

But really .NET is supposed to be more portable, more compatible, and more Internet enabled than ever before. So they say.

[pfh]

The latest ATI drivers require it as well.

[kschang]

I *think* it's just the UI and the config, not the drivers themselves.

[LloydAZ]

I've downloaded the 1.0 .net framework for hdtv2dvd (which didn't work out too well). I'm downloading the update for 2.0.

What exactly is the purpose of this?? Is it a programming language that is needed for certain programs? Why can't they just use the basic windows language? Whats the advantage of .net?

The .NET Framework is a Virtual Machine similar to the Java Virtual Machine.

One major difference is that a developer can use ANY programming language that they know (ie. Visual Basic, C#, C++, J++, COBOL, FORTRAN, Delphi, etc...) as long as there is a .NET implementation of the language. Whereas the Java Virtual Machine is restricted to the Java programming language only.

Another difference is that currently .NET is only supported for Microsoft Operating Systems (though there are some opensource Linux/Unix/OSX implementations that are showing some promise.)

If you know nothing about programming, just know that you will need the .NET framework installed on your system to run any application that was written in it.

[garry]

We have just "had" to upgrade systems here to the latest .NET version..... I wonder how long before they whack a fee on .NET?