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.NET Framework Highlights

	Download Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview General availability is on Friday, September 16. Check out the Developer Preview page to get all available downloads and technical information to help you get started.
	.NET Framework 4.5 Developer Preview Download the NET Framework 4.5 Developer Preview today.
	Download .NET 4 The .NET Framework is Microsoft's comprehensive and consistent programming model for building applications that have visually stunning user experiences, seamless and secure communication, and more.
	Microsoft The .NET Framework 4 is highly compatible with applications that are built with earlier .NET Framework versions, except for some changes that were made to improve security, standards compliance, correctness, reliability, and performance.

.NET Framework Technologies

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
Use WPF for building applications and high fidelity experiences.

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
Use WCF for building and running connected systems.

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
Use WF for building workflow-enabled applications on Windows.

Windows Forms
Use Windows Forms for building smart client applications.

ASP.NET
ASP.NET is a free technology for building dynamic web applications.

Base Class Libraries (BCL)
The BCL provides the fundamental building blocks for any application.

Common Language Runtime (CLR)
The CLR is the .NET Framework run-time environment.

Data Access
Use Entity Framework, Data Services, or ADO.NET to access data sources from your .NET apps.

.NET Compact Framework
Use .NET Compact Framework to build applications for Windows CE devices.

.NET Micro Framework
Use the .NET Micro Framework to develop for resource-constrained devices.

Featured Library Content

.NET Framework Developer Center

Basic Security Practices for Web Applications
Even if you are not experienced with security, there are basic measures that you should take to prot... more
Wednesday, Jan 18 Microsoft

Editing ASP.NET Remote Configuration Files
The ASP.NET configuration API allows you to edit configuration files on a remote server. In particul... more
Wednesday, Jan 4 Microsoft

Managed Extensibility Framework Overview
The Managed Extensibility Framework (MEF) is a library that allows application developers to extend ... more
Tuesday, Dec 20 Microsoft

More .NET Framework Library Content...

Managed Languages

	Visual Basic Get information to help you use Visual Basic to develop .NET applications for Windows, the Web, and Office applications.
	Visual C# Combined with the .NET Framework, Visual C# 2010 enables the creation of Windows applications, Web services, database tools, components, controls, and more.
	Microsoft F# F# is a functional programming language for the .NET Framework. It combines the succinct, expressive, and compositional style of functional programming with the runtime, libraries, interoperability, and object model of .NET.

Download .NET 4

The .NET Framework 4 delivers more controls, improved start-up performance, AJAX support, and powerful new graphics features for client development. Visit the .NET Framework downloads page for more information.

Web Developers and Administrators: Install .NET 4 with the Web Platform Installer

More .NET Framework Resources

	Channel 9 Videos Watch videos and connect with your peers.
	Code Gallery Find the latest .NET code samples or upload your own.
	CodePlex Find open source projects on CodePlex or start your own.
	MSDN Magazine Read in-depth articles about .NET.
	patterns & practices Use Microsoft's proven practices for software engineering.
	Subscribe to MSDN Flash Newsletter Receive the MSDN Flash e-mail newsletter every other week, with news and information personalized to your interests and areas of focus.