What are the Application_Start and Session_Start subroutines used for?

This is where you can set the specific variables for the Application and Session objects.

When during the page processing cycle is ViewState available?

After the Init() and before the Page_Load(), or OnLoad() for a control.

What methods are fired during the page load?

Init() – when the page is instantiated
Load() – when the page is loaded into server memory
PreRender() – the brief moment before the page is displayed to the user as HTML
Unload() – when page finishes loading.

Describe the role of inetinfo.exe, aspnet_isapi.dll andaspnet_wp.exe in the page loading process?

inetinfo.exe is theMicrosoft IIS server running, handling ASP.NET requests among other things.When an ASP.NET request is received (usually a file with .aspx extension), the ISAPI filter aspnet_isapi.dll takes care of it by passing the request tothe actual worker process aspnet_wp.exe.

What is an assembly?

Assemblies are the building blocks of .NET Framework applications; they form the fundamental unit of deployment, version control, reuse, activation scoping, and security permissions. An assembly is a collection of types and resources that are built to work together and form a logical unit of functionality. An assembly provides the common language runtime with the information it needs to be aware of type implementations. To the runtime, a type does not exist outside the context of an assembly. An assembly may be either a .EXE or .DLL file. It contains code that the common language runtime executes.

What does ‘Managed code’ mean in the .NET?

The .NET framework provides several core run-time services to the programs that run within it – for example exception handling, memory management and security. For these services to work, the code must provide a minimum level of information to the runtime. Such code is called managed code.

Managed data: This is data that is allocated and freed by the .NET runtime’s garbage collector.

What is C#?

C# is a new language designed by Microsoft to work with the .NET framework. In their “Introduction to C#” whitepaper, Microsoft describe C# as follows: “C# is a simple, modern, object oriented, and type-safe programming language derived from C and C++. C# (pronounced “C sharp”) is firmly planted in the C and C++ family tree of languages, and will immediately be familiar to C and C++ programmers. C# aims to combine the high productivity of Visual Basic and the raw power of C++.”

C# (or VB.NET) can be used to develop all types of applications – Console, Windows, Web, Web Services and Mobile.

What’s the major additon in the latest versions of .NET 3.5?

LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is a new way to access database, xml documents and collections. It enables programmers to access all data sources with expressions in C# and VB.NET. For example, we can access database without using any SQL using C# or VB.NET expressions.

What is IL?

IL = Intermediate Language. Also known as MSIL (Microsoft Intermediate Language) or CIL (Common Intermediate Language). All .NET source code (of any language) is compiled to IL during development. The IL is then converted to machine code at run-time by a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler. Just like how Java programs are converted to Bytecode, C# and VB.NET code is converted to IL.

What is the CLI? Is it the same as the CLR?

The CLI (Common Language Infrastructure) is the definiton of the fundamentals of the .NET framework – the Common Type System (CTS), metadata, the Virtual Execution Environment (VES) and its use of intermediate language (IL), and the support of multiple programming languages via the Common Language Specification (CLS).

The CLR (Common Language Runtime) is Microsoft’s primary implementation of the CLI. Other implementations are; the .NET Compact Framework for mobile devices, non-Microsoft CLI implementations like Mono and DotGNU Portable.NET.