Microsoft DotNet™ Framework

The DotNet™Framework forms the infrastructure for the DotNet™ Platform. Together, the Common Language Runtime and the class libraries (including Windows Forms, ADODotNet™and ASPDotNet™offer services and solutions which can easily be integrated within and between different systems.

The DotNet™Framework is used to build web applications based on the XML and SOAP standards, among others. It also offers a secure and very extensive execution environment for applications, simplified development and deployment, and seamless integration between different languages. A brief introduction to the DotNet™Framework follows below.

Web services

An extensive infrastructure is clearly required in order to make the process of building Web services transparent for developers. The DotNet™Framework provides that infrastructure. The framework includes an application model and the essential technologies which simplify the creation, deployment and continuing development of secure, reliable, scalable and constantly available Web services, while continuing to build on the developers' existing skills.

Improved model for application deployment

The purpose of the DotNet™Framework is to simplify the process of building Web services, Windows applications and web applications. But this framework also has a profound effect on each type of application, from simple client applications to many other kinds of distributed applications. The DotNet™Framework consists of three main elements: the Common Language Runtime, a hierarchical series of unified class libraries and a component version of Active Server Pages called ASPDotNet. The most important functions of the DotNet™Framework for Web Service developers are summarised briefly below:

ADODotNet‚

ADODotNet™provides classes for access to XML documents, relational databases and each ODBC and OLEDB compliant data source. As the name indicates, ADODotNet™is an evolution of ActiveX Data Objects (ADO).

A powerful HTTP runtime

An HTTP runtime is needed for processing HTTP requests; this must automatically correct violations of access rights, memory leaks and hanging applications as well as possible. The runtime must also support 'pre-emptive cycling' of applications, which improves the overall stability of the system in the case of applications which leak resources.

ASPDotNet

ASPDotNet™provides a low-level programming model which is comparable with ISAPI (but easier to implement) and high-level programming models for building web applications (also known as Web Forms) and Web Services.

DotNet™Remoting

DotNet™Remoting involves activating objects and method calls across the boundaries of contexts, application domains, processes or machines. When a machine is called remotely, DotNet™Remoting supports both a DCOM-type binary protocol via TCP/IP and the SOAP protocol via HTTP or SMTP. The architecture is expandable, so that support for additional protocols and transports can be added. If you need a better connected, object-based programming model between the client and server, use DotNet™Remoting. DotNet™Remoting offers remote access to objects on the server with complete type safety. Clients can retrieve references to objects on the server and determine the life of those objects. However, if you use these services for the life of objects, client applications must also be implemented with DotNet™Remoting.