Understanding the CLI

The CLI is a specification that describes how a runtime environment can be used on different computer platforms without being rewritten for specific architectures. It is developed by Microsoft and standardized by ECMA and ISO. The following diagram shows the high-level functionality of the CLI:

Figure 1.1 – Diagram of the high-level functionality of the CLI

The CLI enables programs written in a variety of programming languages (that are CLS-compliant) to be executed on any operating system and with a single runtime. The CLI specifies a common language, called the Common Language Specification (CLS), a common set of data types that any language must support, called the Common Type System, and other things such as how exceptions are handled and how the state is managed. The various aspects specified by the CLI are described in more detail in the following sections.

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