.NET Development

You can use the .NET Framework to develop apps for the desktop, web, and mobile devices, including Windows Store and Windows Phone Store apps:

• The .NET Framework can be used with such core app development technologies as Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF).
• To read about creating Windows 8.x Store apps in Windows 8 Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, see the Windows Dev Center.
• To read about creating Windows Phone apps, see the Windows Phone Dev Center.
• For information about creating portable .NET Framework assemblies that work without modification on Windows,Windows Phone, and other platforms, see Cross‐Platform Development with the .NET Framework.
• For additional information about developing apps, visit the Windows desktop apps and web development sections of the MSDN Library.
• You can use Visual Studio for your development tasks and select from a wide range of programming languages

The .NET Framework also releases out‐of‐band packages with new functionality and improved cross‐platform support. For information about these, see The .NET Framework and Out‐of‐Band Releases.

You can extend the capabilities of your apps with the following .NET Framework technologies:

Silverlight

A cross‐browser, cross‐platform implementation of the .NET Framework for building media experiences and rich interactive apps for the web, desktop, and phone.

WCF Data Services

A technology that enables you to create services that use the Open Data Protocol (OData), which exposes and consumes data over the web or intranet by using the semantics of representational state transfer (REST).

Entity Framework

A technology that supports the development of data‐oriented software applications. The Entity Framework enables developers to work with data in the form of domain‐specific objects and properties, without having to concern themselves with the underlying database tables and columns where this data is stored. With the Entity Framework, developers can work at a higher level of abstraction when they deal with data, and can create and maintain data‐oriented applications with less code than in traditional applications.

Reactive Extensions

A library for composing asynchronous and event‐based programs for the .NET Framework, Silverlight, and Windows Phone 7 by using observable sequences and LINQ‐style query operators.

Microsoft Surface

A development platform that helps you create interactive Microsoft Surface apps by using the .NET Framework. This technology supports high‐end graphics and multiuser interaction through natural gestures, touch, andphysical objects.

Windows Identity Foundation (WIF)

A set of .NET Framework classes that help you build claims‐aware,relying party applications and security token services. In the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and the .NET Framework 4, the WIF runtime was downloaded separately. Beginning with the .NET Framework 4.5, WIF is fully integrated into the .NET Framework, and WIF content is available in the .NET Framework documentation set.

Windows Server AppFabric

A set of integrated technologies that make it easier to build, scale, and manage web and composite apps that run on Internet Information Services ﴾IIS﴿.