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Demystifying .NET Terminology

·2 mins
.NET ASP.NET

So much modern technology is built with Microsoft’s .NET, it seems inevitable that I would have to learn about it eventually. When I did, I found so much of the terminology confusing; things had overlapping names and nothing seemed consistent. This table hopefully helps you (and me!) keep it all straight.

NameDescription
.NETThe "application platform" for all other technologies listed here. It consists of:
  • The Common Language Runtime (or CLR)
  • Libraries (standard lib type stuff; i/o, dates and times, etc)
  • Compiler
  • SDK and tools
  • "App stacks" such as ASP.NET Core and Windows Forms
.NET FrameworkA closed-source, Windows-only version of .NET that is deprecated. It's last version is .NET Framework 4.8.1, released in 2022.
.NET CoreA newer implementation of .NET that is open source and cross-platform (Windows, Linux, and macOS). Since .NET Framework is deprecated, it is commonly referred to as just ".NET".

The latest version as of writing is .NET Core 8.0.
ASP.NETASP.NET is a web framework extending .NET for making web services. The term can refer to the original ASP.NET, the closed-source, .NET Framework version which, naturally, is also deprecated, or ASP.NET Core, the newer, open-source version targeting .NET Core.
ASP.NET CoreThe newer, open-source, cross-platform web framework.
Entity FrameworkAn Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) library for .NET. The story with Entity Framework is very similar to the story with ASP.NET; it was originally shipped as part of .NET Framework, but has been split off and has been superseded by Entity Framework Core.
Entity Framework CoreThe newer, open-source, cross-platform ORM.

I’ll add more terms as I encounter them!

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