.NET

.NET is a set of class libraries and a run-time environment for developing and running managed code applications. It includes the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which is a software component for running applications, and class libraries, which are hierarchically organized collections of code that developers can use in their applications to build graphical user interfaces (UIs), access databases and files, and communicate over the Web.

Several generations of the technology have been offered and evolved since 2002. A recent unification strategy has delivered the latest versions, which are simply branded .NET.

.NET (previously .NET Core)

.NET lets developers use .NET technologies (which were originally Windows-only with the .NET Framework) across multiple platforms and cloud services. It is offered as open source software and targets Linux and macOS in addition to Windows.

The offerings debuted as .NET Core but are named .NET as of version 5.0, when a .NET technologies unification began. Previously splintered .NET technologies, including the .NET Framework, .NET Core, and Xamarin, have been unified into a single .NET. The unification simplifies decisions for developers choosing which .NET to target, reduces the need to rewrite code for different platforms and application types, and allows developers to use the latest improvements in technology regardless of the solution they are building.