Chapter 4. Framework Class Library Overview

In Chapter 3, we focused on some of the key aspects of the .NET Framework and how to leverage them from C#. However, access to these capabilities isn't limited to C#.

Almost all the capabilities of the .NET Framework are exposed via a set of managed types known as the .NET Framework Class Library (FCL). Because these types are CLS-compliant, they are accessible from almost any .NET language. FCL types are grouped logically by namespace and are exported from a set of assemblies (DLLs) that are part of the .NET platform.

In order to work effectively in C# on the .NET platform, it is important to understand the general capabilities in the predefined class library. However, the library is far too large to cover completely in this book, as it encompasses approximately 3,540 types grouped into 124 namespaces and exported from 38 different assemblies.

Instead, in this chapter, we give an overview of the entire FCL (broken down by logical area) and provide references to relevant types and namespaces so you can explore their details in the .NET Framework SDK on your own.

Useful tools for exploring the FCL include the .NET Framework SDK documentation, the WinCV.exe class browser, and the ILDasm.exe disassembler (see Chapter 5).