What is .NET? Microsoft's answer to Java is now free and open source
Briefly

The .NET platform aims to provide safe execution of code, to deliver better performance than interpreted languages do, and to make the developer experience consistent across a wide variety of apps.
.NET is an open source development platform consisting of a software development framework and an accompanying ecosystem of tools, languages, and runtimes, easing application development across platforms.
Initially developed as Microsoft's answer to Java, the .NET platform has evolved into a full-fledged ecosystem used by millions of developers worldwide.
The short answer is that .NET provides a way for developers familiar with languages like C++, Java, or JavaScript to write enterprise-scale code that is portable across platforms.
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