Developed by Microsoft, .NET is a framework that facilitates software development. It consists of a family of interrelated frameworks, and it is an integrated part of all Windows systems. The .NET framework provides a common application programming interface (API) for diverse clients ranging from mobile devices and PDAs to computers.
.NET acts as a software development platform that allows development of multi tier applications and web services. This platform consists of a runtime environment, language compilers and a core set of base class libraries.
One of the biggest advantages of using the .NET framework is that it is very simple to use and you can leverage it to build Windows applications with less effort. To start working with the .NET framework, you need to make sure that it is available on your system.
If you wonder how to check NET framework version on your system, you need not worry as we will guide you with that process through this article. However, before moving to that, let’s get started by discussing the main benefits of using the .NET framework.
Benefits of .NET Framework
Following are some of the key benefits offered by the .NET framework:
1. Memory Management
One of the key features of the .NET framework is its ability to ensure efficient memory management. Memory management is the process of planning how an application is going to use memory while it is running on a system.
A developer needs to follow certain guidelines when designing an application to meet all its memory needs effectively. Also, .NET framework makes it possible for developers to write code for applications in such a way that it becomes easy to perform effective memory management.
2. Common Type System
The Common Type System (CTS) is an important part of the .NET Framework. It is the basis for type safety. The CTS interacts with the CLR (Common Language Runtime) to allow code written in multiple languages to be run on the same machine while sharing the same namespace.
3. Extensive Class Library
.NET framework is an extensive class library that supports diverse applications. The framework is chiefly used in Windows-based computer systems. It includes a powerful class library named Framework Class Library (FCL). It is decomposed into a set of namespaces, each containing one or more classes and interfaces that define certain functionalities and properties.
4. Development of Powerful Applications
.NET framework facilitates development of feature-rich applications by offering services like memory management, security, database integration, etc. Application developers use .NET to build cross-platform, high performance and reusable Windows applications.
5. Language Interoperability
.NET framework not just supports a single language, but rather a collection of languages. Also, it has an important feature for helping developers implement flawless inter-language communications so that multiple languages can work seamlessly in one application. That feature is known as language interoperability.
6. Version Compatibility
One of the greatest advantages of developing software using the .NET framework is version compatibility. This feature helps you ensure that the software developed using one version of .NET framework runs equally well on the newer versions. In other words, .NET framework offers backward compatibility.
7. Side-by-side execution
The .NET framework acts as an environment to run .NET applications. Side-by-side execution technique enables two or more different versions of .NET framework to exist simultaneously on a system.
A central component of this technique applies to versions of the runtime components, such as the Virtual Execution System (VES). The concept of side-by-side execution is not new to computing. Basic software development requires supporting systems that allow multiple versions of the same application to run concurrently.
8. Multitargeting
The .NET Framework’s multi targeting feature lets you choose the .NET framework that your application supports when compiling to native code. You can create applications that run on multiple versions of the .NET Framework that target different versions of the common language runtime (CLR).
How to Check NET Framework Version on Windows?
The Windows operating system comes with different versions of the .NET framework. The .NET framework is responsible for executing and running different software in your computer.
When the version of the framework is not up to date, some programs will not run on your computer. If you wonder how to check the .NET framework version, this section is going to answer that.
To check the version of the .NET Framework on Windows, you need to follow the steps mentioned below:
- Open File Explorer.
- Browse the following path:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework - Enter the folder with the latest version – i.e. v4.0.30319 in my laptop (for example).
- Right-click on any of the “.dll” files and select Properties.
- Finally, select the ‘Details’ tab to see the Product version tab. For example, the Product version in the below screenshot is 4.8.4084.0. This is the version of the .NET framework installed on the computer.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed various aspects of the .NET Framework. Also, the article highlights key benefits of the .NET Framework and guides you on how to check the version of .NET framework installed on your Windows system.
The .NET Framework provides interoperability with diverse systems, simplifies configuration for applications that must run on multiple systems and enable applications to take advantage of additional functionality provided by .NET providers.
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