.NET Classes

Microsoft .NET Framework offers to software developers a rich set of classes with a wide range of functionality. The Console, Math, and Convert classes that we met in the previous chapter are just three of more than 2,500 .NET classes that may be used in our .NET applications. Here is a partial list of main programming fields where you may find the .NET class library very helpful:

• Base class library (basic functionality such as strings, arrays, and formatting)

• Networking

• Security

• Remoting

• Diagnostics

• I/O

• Database

• XML

• Web services that allow us to expose component interfaces over the Internet

• Web programming

• Windows user interface