.
NET’s CLR
How does it really work?
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Overview
CLR : Common Language Runtime
Platform for software development that provides services
by consuming metadata
Standards based, Component oriented
What is CLR
Benefits
Inside CLR
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CLR BASICS
Core of .NET vision
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CLR as a development platform
It provides
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Runtime
A piece of code written by platform vendor
Provides services to the software that you write
Visual Basic Runtime, the SQL Server Engine and the
COM+/MTS runtime.
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Runtime
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Libraries
CLR's Base Class Library allow us to interact with the
runtime, and provide additional useful functionality.
How do you take advantage of runtime?
BCL includes ASP.NET, XML Parser and other
thousands of classes
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Languages
How do I take advantage of libraries and runtime
C#, Visual Basic.NET, IL, C++, and JScript.NET
How is CLR different then??
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Components
Component oriented programming from Hardware
Software systems can be built from software components
Organizing components can ease maintenance
Every piece of CLR functionality that we run must belong
to a component
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Standards
A standard is a document that describes a convention or
protocol that everyone agrees to follow
HTTP standard
Explicit support for XML and SOAP
CLI
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.NET is cross-platform
Compiled .NET apps run on any supported platform:
APP.exe
?
Win64 Win32 WinCE
(XP,2K,98)
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How is cross-platform achieved?
Cross-platform execution realized in two ways:
Apps are written against Framework Class Library (FCL),
not underlying OS
Compilers generate generic assembly language which must be executed by the
Common Language Runtime (CLR)
• Framework Class Library
– 1000's of predefined classes
– common subset across all
platforms & languages
– networking, database access, XML
processing, GUI, Web, etc.
– Goal? FCL is a portable operating
system
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The Common Language Runtime (CLR)
The CLR defines a common programming model and a standard type system
for cross-platform, multi-language development.”
All .NET-aware compilers generate Intermediate Language (IL) instructions and
metadata.
The runtime's Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler convert the IL to a machine-specific
(native) code when an application actually runs.
Because the CLR is responsible for managing this IL, the code is known as
managed code.
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Intermediate Language (IL)
All .NET-aware compilers generate Intermediate Language (IL) instructions
and metadata.
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Assemblies
1 assembly = 1 or more compiled classes
.EXE represents an assembly with classes + Main program
.DLL represents an assembly with classes
code.vb
code.vb
code.cs
Development Tools
.EXE / .DLL
assembly
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.NET Application Design
Monolithic app: all source code compiled into one .EXE
not the norm on Windows…
APP.exe
• Component-based app: .EXE + one or more .DLLs
– standard practice on Windows…
compute.dll
GUI.exe
data.dll
– team programming
– multi-language development (I like C#, you like C++, he/she likes VB)
– code reuse (e.g. across different .EXEs)
– independent updating (update just component X)
– FCL ships as a set of components!
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CLR-based execution
Common Language Runtime must be present to execute code:
APP.exe
OS Process
other FCL
JIT Compiler
components
obj code Core
FCL
CLR
Underlying OS and HW
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CLR-based execution revisited
CLR must be able to locate all assemblies:
.DLL
.EXE .DLL
.DLL
OS Process
other FCL
JIT Compiler
assemblies
obj code Core FCL
obj code
obj code assembly
obj code
CLR
Underlying OS and HW
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mscoree.dll - Common Object Runtime Execution Engine
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Memory Management
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Memory Management
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References
http://www.theserverside.net/tt/articles/showarticle.tss?
id=DM_CLR
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/
8bs2ecf4(VS.71).aspx
C# and the .NET Platform, Second Edition by Andrew
Troelsen
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