.NET programming confusion

[Robotoer]

I've constantly been seeing Microsoft's promotions for the new .NET stuff they make. What is .NET? Also, in microsoft visual C++2003 and above, how do u use the .NET forms? I know how to program in C++, but i still don't know how to use the new .net features. Can anyone help?

 

[oog]

.net is a runtime environment. you can use any of a number of languages to create an executable that runs on the .net runtime. go look on microsoft's site on msdn.microsoft.com/net and i'm sure you'll find lots of tutorials.

 

[Velk]

.net is much like a microsoft version of java. I.e. it produces things that don't run themselves, but get run by the .net runtime so you have theoretically enhanced portability.

I know nothing of the relative technical merits, but at least UIs run at a decent speed in .net (wtf is with java and UIs anyway) so it can't be all bad 8)

 

[itachi]

Originally posted by: Velk
.net is much like a microsoft version of java. I.e. it produces things that don't run themselves, but get run by the .net runtime so you have theoretically enhanced portability.

I know nothing of the relative technical merits, but at least UIs run at a decent speed in .net (wtf is with java and UIs anyway) so it can't be all bad 8)

simple.. microsoft gears towards language independence, java towards platform.. sun only uses features available on all platforms for their ui. so if windows can do one thing, but linux can't.. they don't include that feature. but seeing that AWT sucked, they started developing a ui that basically rebuilds everything, without using any of the platform resources.

 

[sunase]

the language independence thing actually does work too. I took a .NET course recently, the professor did all his examples in VB.NET. I liked C# better, however, and was able to do everything in that without any problems.

 

[Robotoer]

can standart C++ (unmanaged) work with the .NET forms?

 

[Markbnj]

Only through COM interop, I believe. There isn't actually a switch to generate managed or unmanaged C++ in Visual C++ 2005. If you use the .Net runtime then it generates managed code, otherwise it generates unmanaged. Do get it to generate unmanaged code that still has access to the .Net facilities, I think you need to use the COM wrappers.

 

[Robotoer]

What's the difference between managed code and unmanaged?

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Robotoer
What's the difference between managed code and unmanaged?

Unmanaged code is compiled directly to binary for the type of cpu you're on and runs without the .net framework looking over it's sholder. Managed code is compiled to virtual machine code which is changed to real machine code at run time where the framework can watch to make sure everything's kosher.

 

[Robotoer]

wait... unmanaged code is compiled for the cpu that you're running on?... If it's like that wouldn't you havfe to make a version for each set of hardware?

 

[Markbnj]

Yes. A native compiler is written to generate machine code for a specific processor or family of processors.

 

[itachi]

Originally posted by: Robotoer
wait... unmanaged code is compiled for the cpu that you're running on?... If it's like that wouldn't you havfe to make a version for each set of hardware?

nope.. amd and intel both use x86 instruction set (binaries are compatible with one another). with other hardware.. the os kernel has a HAL (hardware abstraction layer) to make it so programs can interact with hardware without having to know who made it.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: itachi

Originally posted by: Robotoer
wait... unmanaged code is compiled for the cpu that you're running on?... If it's like that wouldn't you havfe to make a version for each set of hardware?

nope.. amd and intel both use x86 instruction set (binaries are compatible with one another). with other hardware.. the os kernel has a HAL (hardware abstraction layer) to make it so programs can interact with hardware without having to know who made it.

But he is correct in that an unmanaged (native) program will need to be recompiled for different architecture types (x86, PowerPC, Alpha, SPARC, etc, etc).