.NET Framework

The Microsoft® .NET Framework is a development and execution environment that allows different programming languages & libraries
to work together seamlessly to create Windows-based applications that
are easier to build, manage, deploy, and integrate with other networked systems.

The .NET Framework consists of:

•  The Common Language Runtime (CLR)
A language-neutral development & execution environment that provides services to help "manage" application execution

•  The Framework Class Libraries (FCL)
A consistent, object-oriented library of prepackaged functionality