What Is Managed Code?

Managed code is code written in one of over twenty high-level programming languages that are available for use with the Microsoft .NET Framework, including C#, J#, Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Microsoft JScript .NET, and C++. All of these languages share a unified set of class libraries and can be encoded into an Intermediate Language (IL). A runtime-aware compiler compiles the IL into native executable code within a managed execution environment that ensures type safety, array bound and index checking, exception handling, and garbage collection.

By using managed code and compiling in this managed execution environment, you can avoid many typical programming mistakes that lead to security holes and unstable applications. Also, many unproductive programming tasks are automatically taken care of, such as type safety checking, memory management, and destruction of unneeded objects. You can therefore focus on the business logic of your applications and write them using fewer lines of code. The result is shorter development time and more secure and stable applications.