New features in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (DevX)

Microsoft .NET framework introduces a platform that opens many possibilities. It provides a platform managed to run portable applications, robust and scalable. Microsoft .NET framework 4 is shipped with Visual Studio 2010. The remarkable features provided by the .NET Framework includes: support for cross-language, the common type system class base, Common Language Runtime (CLR), the just-in-time compiler (JIT) and automated garbage collection library integration. This article takes a look at the new features of the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.

Lot of new features and improvements were introduced in the .NET Framework 4. The most important of them is the following:

Dynamic language RuntimeManaged FrameworkSupport extensibility for the improvement of the ImprovementsWWF ComputingADO.NET ImprovementsWCF parallel

The dynamic language Runtime (DLR) is built on the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and paves the way for a common set of technologies and tools to interact within a common framework.  The Dynamic Language Runtime environment enables developers to implement applications using dynamic languages such as Python and Ruby to the .NET Framework runtime. This is an execution environment built on CLR managed environment that provides support for implementing dynamic functionality in statically typed languages, sharing libraries and objects and the sending dynamic fast and invocation.

Dynamically typed as Python, Ruby and JavaScript languages can reside alongside familiar statically typed languages such as c#, managed C++ and Visual Basic .NET. The CLR provides a common platform where the statically typed languages (e.g. c#, VB) can reside and interoperate, while the DLR is sitting on top of the CLR and provides a common platform for live and interact dynamically typed languages.

The Wikipedia States: "Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR) from Microsoft is ongoing to provide a set of services that run on top of the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and provides several different dynamic languages language." Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Language_Runtime

The DLR adds a set of services that facilitate the dynamic language on .NET managed platform implementations. These services include support for a system of dynamic type, a standard hosting model and fast dynamic code generation. In addition, the DLR provides dynamic and static languages interoperate bi-directionally.

The new namespace System.Dynamic in Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 supports the Dynamic Language Runtime environment. The MSDN States: "the dynamic language runtime (DLR) is a runtime environment that adds a set of services for dynamic languages to the common language runtime (CLR). The DLR makes developing dynamic languages to run on the .NET Framework and to add dynamic features to statically typed languages. "Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd233052.aspx

The Dynamic Language Runtime consists of the following three layers:

1. The .NET Language integration layer

2. The Dynamic Language Runtime Code components

3 Language workbooks

Dynamic Language Runtime environment provides the following services:

Dynamic method DispatchDynamic Code API GenerationHosting

The managed extensibility framework is a new framework that can be used to implement applications lightweight, extensible and composable that can leverage the features and benefits of CLR. You can use the framework extensibility managed (MEF) to enable extensions be reused within the same application or applications. You can find out more about extensibility framework managed MSDN article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd460648.aspx

Microsoft .NET framework 4 provides support for parallel computing model - you can now write applications multi-threaded and asynchronous code with lots of power and simplicity. You now have the Parallel Extensions library (formerly called Parallel Extensions PFX, concurrency library framework managed to design and implement applications that can take advantage of parallel hardware in your system.) The Parallel Extensions library includes a task parallelism component called task parallel library and Parallel LINQ. Parallel LINQ is a concurrency runtime engine that is used to perform LINQ queries on multi-core processors.

With the .NET Framework 4, you have support to implement the first model of development and ignorant persistent objects. These are also known as plain old objects (OODC) CLR objects. These entities POCO or ignorant persistent objects enable removes you to design classes the need for specific concerns of persistence in your entity classes. Now also have support for the use of functions in your LINQ queries. You can find out more about ADO.NET improvements in .net 4 this link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ex6y04yf.aspx

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a platform that can be used to design and implement services independent and scalable platform. It is a framework that provides a platform for the unification of a number of technologies business under one roof. Firstly, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) has been introduced in the .NET Framework 3.0.

Improvements in WCF in the .NET Framework 4 are as follows:

Support for configurationSupport simplified for endpointsSupport standard for simplified IIS HostingSupport for featuresSupport REST servicesSupport routing workflow enhanced

Windows Workflow Foundation provides a simpler design and workflow using .NET Framework-based application development framework. Windows Workflow Foundation was also initiated in Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0. Windows Workflow Foundation in .NET Framework 4 improvements are as follows:

Extensibility in WF accommodation DesignerBetter persistence and tracking featuresImproved workflow activity modelImproved built-in activity library

http://msdn.Microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd233052.aspx

http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Language_Runtime

Microsoft .NET framework 4 introduces many improvements in Windows Communication Foundation and Windows Workflow Foundation. In addition, the new Dynamic Language Runtime and managed extensibility framework have been introduced. You also have improved support for parallel computing now. In this article, we discussed the most important and widely used of the new features in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4. Happy reading!