The '''commonCommon languageLanguage infrastructureInfrastructure''' is used in the [[Microsoft]] [[.NET]] initiative as the basis for running programs written in different [[programming language | programming languages]]. Before this [[Visual Basic]] for example has required a component <i>VBRUN</i> and Visual C++ uses <i>MSVCRT</i> for the compiled programs to run. The common language infrastructure is an effort to unify the different runtime modules needed.
It uses a [[virtual machine]] and a class library [[Common Language Runtime]]. (see Microsoft site [http://www.microsoft.com/partner/products/microsoftnet/CLRTechPage.asp]). There are many compilers being developed which produce code for this virtual machine. The code it executes is called <i>[[Common Intermediate Language</i>]] (CIL) or ''[[Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL)'']].
