The '''Common Language Infrastructure''' ('''CLI''') is an open [[specification]] (technical standard) developed by [[Microsoft]] and standardized by [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] and [[Ecma International|Ecma]]<ref name="iso_iec_23271_2012">[http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_ics/catalogue_detail_ics.htm?csnumber=58046 ISO/IEC 23271:2012 - Information technology -- Common Language Infrastructure (CLI)]</ref> and [[Ecma International|Ecma]]<ref name="ecma_355_2012">[http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-335.htm Standard ECMA-335 - 6th edition (June 2012)]</ref> that describes executable code and a runtime environment that allows multiple high-level languages to be used on different computer platforms without being rewritten for specific architectures. This implies it is platform agnostic. The [[.NET Framework]], [[.NET Core]], and [[Mono (software)|Mono]], [[DotGNU]] and [[Portable.NET]] are implementations of the CLI.
==Overview==
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==Implementations==
*[[.NET Framework]] is Microsoft's original commercial implementation of the CLI. ItsIt [[Virtualonly Executionsupports System]]Windows. isIt thewill [[Commonbe Languagesuperseded Runtime]]by and.NET itsCore implementationin ofNovember the [[Standard Libraries (CLI)|Standard Libraries]] is the [[Framework Class Library]]2020.
*[[.NET Core]] is a portable and modularthe free and open-source forkmulti-platform ofsuccessor Microsoft'sto .NET Framework, by the [[.NET Foundation]]releaseed under anthe [[MIT license]]▼
*[[.NET Compact Framework]] is Microsoft's commercial implementation of the CLI for portable devices and [[Xbox 360]].
*[[.NET Micro Framework]] is an open source implementation of the CLI for resource-constrained devices.
*[[SharedMono Source Common Language Infrastructure(software)|Mono]] is aan referencealternative open source implementation of the CLI availableand fromaccompanying Microsofttechnologies, undermainly theused [[Sharedfor Source]]mobile and licensinggame programdevelopment.
▲*[[.NET Core]] is a portable and modular free and open-source fork of Microsoft's .NET Framework by the [[.NET Foundation]] under an [[MIT license]]
*[[Mono (software)|Mono development platform]] is an [[Open-source software|open source]] implementation of CLI and accompanying technologies, sponsored by [[Xamarin]].
*[[Portable.NET]], part of the [[dotGNU]] project, is a [[free software]] implementation of ECMA-335 by [[Free Software Foundation]].
