CRL for Not Yet Techies

CRL Common Language Runtime is the glue that binds .NET. It integrates software under a common operating system, providing a standard foundation for building applications. CRL Common Language Runtime is the basis for everything in .NET Framework.

The CRL Common Language Runtime under the .NET Framework is somewhat analogous to Java's Virtual Machine. It will help make sure that programs developed under it can be used on all sorts of computers. It is Microsoft's managed environment for more efficient programming.

CRL Common Language Runtime is the loader that brings components to life inside an operating system process. Developers can use the language they prefer (which is an individual choice) and yet they will still work within the .NET Framework.

CRL Common Language Runtime is managed code. Since it is object oriented programming, it has managed objects. It also provides an automatic "garbage dump" for freeing up memory that is no longer needed. This is similar to Java and a great relief to C++ programmers.

The CRL Common Language Runtime under the .NET Framework is "responsible for run time services such as language integration, security enforcement, memory, process, and thread management." It also features "such as life-cycle management, strong type naming, cross-language exception handling, dynamic binding, and so on." The basic idea is to support developers by providing all the basics, so all they have to do is concentrate on developing the functions they need, rather than re-inventing wheels with every new application.

Networking is the obvious trend in computing. The Internet, extranets and intranets -- computers standing alone are worth much less than computers communicating with other computers.

The trend in software development is to facilitate communication.

The CRL Common Language Runtime replaces COM's CoCreateInheritance and WIN32's LoadLibrary. It has a common set of data types. It brings standard implementation and specifications to application development.

Microsoft's old COM technology essentially facilitated communication between independently written software program. The CRL / Common Language Runtime will make sure all programs developed under it will already know how to interact and communicate, even if written in different languages.

Thus the CRL / Common Language Runtime and .NET in general are an advance on prior technology.

Metadata (information about data) and visualization.

The CRL / Common Language Runtime will actually enable programs to write other programs. One program's metadata can be input to another program that will emit a program as output.

CRL Common Language Runtime programs are stored in modules, in CIL - Common Intermediate Language. This is actually a small step up than most programs are compiled in, which technically means CRL Common Language Runtime programs will be a shade slower.

In the old days of computing this mattered a lot. Now, with hardware so fast, small inefficiencies are no longer noticeable. The one exception may be games programming, which still uses assembler language to keep the games going as fast as possible.

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