Framework 3.5

Welcome to the Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5. The .NET Framework is an integral Windows component that supports building and running the next generation of applications and Web services. The key components of the .NET Framework are the common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework class library, which includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Windows Forms, and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). The .NET Framework provides a managed execution environment, simplified development and deployment, and integration with a wide variety of programming languages. For a brief introduction to the architecture of the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework Conceptual Overview. For a discussion of .NET Framework version 3.5 and its relationship to previous versions of the .NET Framework, see .NET Framework 3.5 Architecture. 

The documentation for the .NET Framework includes an extensive class library reference, conceptual overviews, step-by-step procedures, and information about samples, compilers, and command-line tools. To locate the information that interests you, see the following list of main topic areas. 

  In This Section 

Quick Technology Finder 

Provides a table of links to the main technology areas of the .NET Framework. 

What's New in the .NET Framework 

Describes key features that have been added or modified in the latest versions of the .NET Framework. 

Overview of the .NET Framework 

Describes key .NET Framework concepts such as the common language runtime, the common type system (CTS), cross-language interoperability, managed execution, assemblies, and security. 

.NET Framework Class Library Reference 

Supplies syntax, code examples, and related information for each class contained in the .NET Framework namespaces. 

Guidelines and Best Practices 

Provides a list of links, categorized by technology, to Guidelines and Best Practices topics. 

How-to and Walkthrough Directory 

Provides a list of links, categorized by technology, to How-to and Walkthrough topics. 

.NET Framework Samples 

Provides samples on various aspects of the .NET Framework and the .NET Compact Framework. 

Security in the .NET Framework 

Provides information about the classes and services in the .NET Framework that facilitate secure application development. 

Core Development Technologies 

Explains common programming tasks that apply to a range of .NET Framework applications. Includes topics such as accessing data, file and stream I/O, configuration, encoding, deployment, and debugging. 

Advanced Development Technologies 

Provides information about sophisticated development tasks and techniques in the .NET Framework. 

ASP.NET Web Applications in the .NET Framework 

Provides instructive overviews and detailed, step-by-step procedures for creating ASP.NET applications, Web Forms, and Web services. 

Windows-based Applications 

Provides information about working with Windows Forms and console applications. 

Windows Presentation Foundation 

Provides information about developing applications using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). 

Windows Communication Foundation 

Provides information on the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) programming model for building service-oriented applications. 

Windows Workflow Foundation 

Provides information on the framework, programming model, and tools for Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). 

.NET Compact Framework 

Introduces the .NET Framework-based, hardware-independent environment for running applications on resource-constrained computing devices. 

.NET Framework General Reference 

Provides reference information related to the .NET Framework. Includes sections on languages and compilers, tools, technical references, and a glossary of terms. 

Product Information 

Contains information about document conventions, system requirements, Product Support Services, and other auxiliary information. 

The .NET Framework class library is a library of classes, interfaces, and value types that are included in the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK). This library provides access to system functionality and is designed to be the foundation on which .NET Framework applications, components, and controls are built. 

.NET Framework applications are built on the services of the common language runtime and take advantage of the .NET Framework class library. The documentation listed below is located in the "Development Tools and Languages" section of the MSDN Library.

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a component of the later versions of .NE that provides developers with a unified programming model for building rich Windows smart client user experiences that incorporate UI, media, and documents.

The Internet continues to be increasingly valuable, and yet also faces significant challenges. Online identity theft, fraud, and privacy concerns are rising. Users must track a growing number of accounts and passwords. This burden results in "password fatigue," and that results in insecure practices, such as reusing the same account names and passwords at many sites. Many of these problems are rooted in the lack of a widely adopted identity solution for the Internet.

ASP.NET, a part of the .NET Framework, provides classes and tools for creating dynamic Web applications. The topics in this section guide you in creating, programming, and deploying ASP.NET Web applications.

This documentation describes the programming model, samples, and tools of Windows Workflow Foundation. 

The Internet continues to be increasingly valuable, and yet also faces significant challenges. Online identity theft, fraud, and privacy concerns are rising. Users must track a growing number of accounts and passwords. This burden results in "password fatigue," and that results in insecure practices, such as reusing the same account names and passwords at many sites. Many of these problems are rooted in the lack of a widely adopted identity solution for the Internet.

CardSpace is Microsoft's implementation of an Identity Metasystem that enables users to choose from a portfolio of identities that belong to them and use them in contexts where they are accepted, independent of the underlying identity systems where the identities originate and are used. 

The tools in this section help you develop, configure, and deploy applications by using Microsoft .NET Framework technologies.

Windows Workflow Foundation is a framework that enables users to create system or human workflows in their applications written for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and the Windows Server 2003 family. It consists of a namespace, an in-process workflow engine, and designers for Visual Studio 2005. Windows Workflow Foundation can be used to solve simple scenarios, such as showing UI controls based on user input, or complex scenarios encountered by large enterprises, such as order processing and inventory control. Windows Workflow Foundation comes with a programming model, a rehostable and customizable workflow engine, and tools for quickly building workflow-enabled applications on Windows.

The Accessibility and all of its exposed members are part of a managed wrapper for the Component Object Model (COM) accessibility interface.

For more information about Accessibility, see the Microsoft Active Accessibility documentation in the MSDN library at