Abstract:

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The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software component that can be added to or is included with the Microsoft Windows operating system. It provides a large body of pre-coded solutions to common program requirements, and manages the execution of programs written specifically for the framework. The .NET Framework is a key Microsoft offering, and is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform. However, as of now (August 2007), two free software implementations (Portable.NET and Mono) of the Microsoft .NEW Framework exist. Portable.NET (part of DotGNU) provides an implementation of the CLI (Common Language Infrastructure), portions of the .NET BCL (Base Class Library), and a C# (C Sharp) compiler. It supports a variety of CPUs and operating systems. Mono is yet another .NET implementation of the CLI and portions of the .NET BCL, and provides additional functionality. It is dual-licensed under free software and proprietary software licenses. Mono is being developed by Novell, Inc. It includes support for ASP.NET, ADO.NET, and evolving support for Windows Forms libraries. It also includes a C# compiler, and a VB.NET compiler is in pre-beta form. Mono and DotGNU, both provide support for a variety of operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, UNIX, Mac OS X, Solaris and Windows operating systems. Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Intel worked to standardize the CLI and the C# programming language. By December 2001, both were ratified ECMA standards (ECMA 335 and ECMA 334). ISO (International Organization for Standardization) followed in April 2003 (ISO/IEC 23271 and ISO/IEC 23270). While Microsoft and their partners hold patents for CLI and C#, ECMA and ISO requires that all patents essential to implementation be made available under "reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms." In addition to meeting these terms, the companies have agreed to make the patents available royalty-free.