Managed code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:01, 2 March 2025

Revision as of 09:00, 17 March 2025

Line 3:

'''Managed code''' is computer program code that requires and will execute only under the management of a [[Common Language Infrastructure]] (CLI); [[Virtual Execution System]] (VES); [[virtual machine]], e.g. [[.NET]], [[CoreFX]], or [[.NET Framework]]; [[Common Language Runtime]] (CLR); or [[Mono (software)|Mono]]. The term was coined by [[Microsoft]].

Managed code is the compiler output of [[source code]] written in one of over twenty high-level [[List of CLI languages|programming languages]], including [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]], [[J Sharp|J#]] and [[Visual Basic .NET]].

==Terminology==

The true and fine distinction between managed and unmanaged code is prevalent and only relevant when developing applications that interact with CLR implementations. Since many older programming languages [[List_of_CLI_languages|(list)]] have been ported to the CLR, the differentiation is needed to identify managed code, especially in a mixed setup. In this context, code that does not rely on the CLR is termed "unmanaged".

A source of confusion was created when Microsoft started connecting the .NET Framework with [[C++]], and the choice of how to name the [[Managed Extensions for C++]]. It was first named Managed C++ and then renamed to [[C++/CLI]]. The creator of the C++ programming language and member of the C++ standards committee, [[Bjarne Stroustrup]], even commented on this issue, "On the difficult and controversial question of what the CLI binding/extensions to C++ is to be called, I prefer C++/CLI as a shorthand for 'The CLI extensions to ISO C++'. Keeping C++ as part of the name reminds people what is the base language and will help keep C++ a proper subset of C++ with the C++/CLI extensions."<ref name="Stroustrup">{{cite web |author=Stroustrup, Bjarne |title=Bjarne Stroustrup's FAQ: What do you think of C++/CLI? |date=2009-06-29 |url=http://www.stroustrup.com/bs_faq.html#CppCLI |access-date=2009-06-29 }}</ref>