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12,842 PointsHow is the .NET Framework Similar or Different to Libraries in Other Programming Languages?
I'm not familiar with the .NET Framework at all. I've been doing the JS track for a while, and I'm wondering how similar/dis-similar the a framework, in specific a Microsoft framework is from something like a JS library like jQuery. If there's a website/resource designed for beginners that I could be referred to that would also be cool. Thanks!
1 Answer
James Churchill
Treehouse TeacherNekilof,
Great question!
As you probably know, jQuery is a library that is built to be used with JavaScript. At a high level, it's a collection of functions that make it easier for developers to do various tasks in the browser, like manipulating the HTML DOM or making an AJAX call.
The .NET Framework is similar to jQuery, in that it provides a collection of classes and methods that a developer can use to do various tasks, like reading a file from the disk or making a network call using the HTTP protocol. That part of the .NET Framework is known as the "class library", "framework class library", or FCL (see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt472912(v=vs.110).aspx).
The .NET Framework differs from jQuery in that it also includes the common language runtime, or CLR. The CLR manages the execution of .NET applications, including security, memory management, and exception handling.
You can think of the .NET Framework as the combination of a JavaScript engine (like Chrome's V8 engine), the JavaScript language (and all of its built-in types), and jQuery. So, while that comparison might not be completely correct, it might help you to visualize the various parts that make up the .NET Framework.
The official .NET Framework documentation (from Microsoft) can be found at: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/w0x726c2(v=vs.110).aspx
Thanks ~James