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The Evolution of .NET: A Brief History
.NET, Microsoft’s powerful and versatile development framework, has undergone significant changes since its inception in the early 2000s. Over the past 25 years, it has transformed from a Windows-only, closed-source framework into a modern, open-source, and cross-platform ecosystem.
The Origins of .NET
In the late 1990s, Microsoft was investing in Java; however, a legal dispute with Sun Microsystems led to the removal of Java from Windows installations. Microsoft then sought to develop its high-level programming environment to compete with Java, leading to the birth of .NET.
The first version of .NET was released in 2000–2001, along with Visual Studio .NET. This introduced two primary languages — C# and VB.NET — along with the .NET Framework, which provided essential functionality such as handling HTTP requests and reading files.
Early Challenges and WinForms/WebForms
The initial releases of .NET included support for building applications using WinForms (for desktop applications) and WebForms (for web applications). WebForms was particularly significant as it provided an abstraction to help Windows developers transition to web development. Although WebForms served its purpose, it…
