Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Common Language Runtime
open-in-new
<p>The Common Language Runtime (CLR), the <a href="/facts/Virtual_machine/BLevU3sx">virtual machine</a> component of <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET Framework</a>, manages the execution of .NET programs. <a href="/facts/Just-in-time_compilation/rEYDsd8l">Just-in-time compilation</a> converts the <a href="/facts/Managed_code/3jJfe94N">managed code</a> (compiled <a href="/facts/Intermediate_language/s0qRrbfh">intermediate language</a> code) into <a href="/facts/Machine_instructions/bgdQ1Fxf">machine instructions</a> which are then executed on the <a href="/facts/CPU/Jxp1bqMV">CPU</a> of the computer. The CLR provides additional services including <a href="/facts/Memory_management/vthLkUpz">memory management</a>, <a href="/facts/Type_safety/WxmEKq8R">type safety</a>, <a href="/facts/Exception_handling/VrJxgb9r">exception handling</a>, <a href="/facts/Garbage_collection_(computer_science)/j2vlIu7g">garbage collection</a>, security and <a href="/facts/Thread_management/hh8WHyPd">thread management</a>. All programs written for the .NET Framework, regardless of <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming language</a>, are executed in the CLR. All versions of the .NET Framework include CLR. The CLR team was started June 13, 1998. </p><p>CLR implements the <a href="/facts/Virtual_Execution_System/vuQF1ntM">Virtual Execution System</a> (VES) as defined in the <a href="/facts/Common_Language_Infrastructure/mu44u01J">Common Language Infrastructure</a> (CLI) standard, initially developed by Microsoft itself. A public standard defines the Common Language Infrastructure specification. </p><p>During the transition from legacy .NET technologies like the .NET Framework and its proprietary runtime to the community-developed <a href="/facts/.NET_Core/NhHe0l06">.NET Core</a>, the CLR was dubbed CoreCLR. Today, it is simply called the .NET runtime. </p> Overview of the Common Language Runtime release history<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th>CLR version</th><th>.NET version</th></tr><tr><td>1.0</td><td><a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">1.0</a></td></tr><tr><td>1.1</td><td><a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">1.1</a></td></tr><tr><td>2.0</td><td><a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">2.0</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">3.0</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">3.5</a></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td><a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">4</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">4.5</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">4.6</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">4.7</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework_version_history/9LBLRl6q">4.8</a></td></tr></tbody></table>