The .NET Framework and .NET (formerly known as .NET Core) are two distinct implementations of the .NET platform. Despite their differences, they share a common lineage and are part of the broader .NET ecosystem.
- .NET
- .NET is a cross language set of compilers and tools that are supported by an underlying set of runtime libraries.
- .NET Framework
- .NET Framework is a software development framework.
It includes a large class library and provides language interoperability across several programming languages.
It is used for building Windows applications, web applications, and web services.
- .NET Core
- .NET Core is supported on multiple operating systems. It was completely rewritten from scratch, and although it shares a large compatibility with .NET Framework, it is very different in many places.
- .NET Standard
- It is an in-between library that allows code to be shared between .NET Framework and .NET Core. In theory, if you compile code to .NET Standard, it should be compatible with Framework and Core.