.NET 4.6 Brings New Compilers, Minor Improvements

The .NET Framework (.NET) 4.6 became generally available in July 2015 alongside Visual Studio (VS) 2015, and a later version, .NET 4.6.1, became generally available in Nov. 2015 with VS 2015 Update 1. .NET 4.6 delivers new compilers that speed performance, enable new code analysis and refactoring capabilities, and open VS to partners creating cross-platform tools and other extensions. .NET 4.6 should also be evaluated as a possible replacement for .NET versions that exit support in early 2016.

Platform for Managed Code on Multiple Platforms

.NET provides a development platform that handles many of the routine tasks of application execution (such as memory management and error handling) automatically, reducing developer burden and improving application stability and security. This “managed” code environment delivers base class libraries (APIs giving access to basic programming elements such as variable types and OS functions) and a Common Language Runtime (CLR) supported on Windows OSs. Microsoft delivers programming language compilers that work with .NET, including C#, Visual Basic (VB), C++, and F#.