3/3/2017 Whatismanagedcode?

BradAbrams

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What is managed code?

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BradA https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/author/brada/ January 9, 2004

18 https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comments
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Recently I have been working on pulling together some background information and I thought Id share it
here. I certainly dont claim any of this is news, but at least google will help me find it next time I need it

What is managed code?

Managed code is code that has its execution managed by the .NET Framework Common Language Runtime. It
refers to a contract of cooperation between natively executing code and the runtime. This contract specifies
that at any point of execution, the runtime may stop an executing CPU and retrieve information specific to the
current CPU instruction address. Information that must be queryable generally pertains to runtime state, such
as register or stack memory contents.

The necessary information is encoded in an Intermediate Language IL and associated metadata, or symbolic
information that describes all of the entry points and the constructs exposed in the IL e.g., methods,
properties and their characteristics. The Common Language Infrastructure CLI Standard which the CLR is the
primary commercial implementation describes how the information is to be encoded, and programming
languages that target the runtime emit the correct encoding. All a developer has to know is that any of the
languages that target the runtime produce managed code emitted as PE files that contain IL and metadata.
And there are many such languages to choose from, since there are nearly 20 different languages provided by
third parties everything from COBOL to Camel in addition to C#, J#, VB .Net, Jscript .Net, and C++ from
Microsoft.

Before the code is run, the IL is compiled into native executable code. And, since this compilation happens by
the managed execution environment or, more correctly, by a runtimeaware compiler that knows how to
target the managed execution environment, the managed execution environment can make guarantees
about what the code is going to do. It can insert traps and appropriate garbage collection hooks, exception
handling, type safety, array bounds and index checking, and so forth. For example, such a compiler makes sure
to lay out stack frames and everything just right so that the garbage collector can run in the background on a
separate thread, constantly walking the active call stack, finding all the roots, chasing down all the live objects.
In addition because the IL has a notion of type safety the execution engine will maintain the guarantee of type
safety eliminating a whole class of programming mistakes that often lead to security holes.

Contrastthistotheunmanagedworld:Unmanagedexecutablefilesarebasicallyabinaryimage,x86
code,loadedintomemory.TheprogramcountergetsputthereandthatsthelasttheOSknows.Thereare
protectionsinplacearoundmemorymanagementandportI/Oandsoforth,butthesystemdoesnt
actuallyknowwhattheapplicationisdoing.Therefore,itcantmakeanyguaranteesaboutwhathappens
whentheapplicationruns.
Tags CLR https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/tag/clr/

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Michael Lockwood
April 10, 2004 at 10:58 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment18763
What an absolutely clear, concise, and to the point explanation! Excellent.

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=18763#respond

Jordan
April 16, 2004 at 10:58 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment19583
Nicely done.

Google did help me find it.

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=19583#respond

Juergen
April 28, 2004 at 12:58 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment20923
Great explanation, thanks!

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=20923#respond

Ravindranath
May 3, 2004 at 11:56 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment21393
Well done. Can this be compared to the JVM java Virtual machine ? In other words does the JVM run managed code?

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=21393#respond

Abhinav Gupta
July 20, 2004 at 9:51 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment26813
I wonder why MSDN dont have such a precise explanation, Excellent

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=26813#respond

Peter
July 21, 2004 at 1:09 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment26823
Great explanation not in my 1100 pages .NET book!

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=26823#respond

Mr Somewhere
July 29, 2004 at 6:51 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment27313
What is finally the advantage of such "code", the financial aspect "a part" ?

Reply https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/?replytocom=27313#respond

Fine Art Brad Abrams : What is managed code? (http://fineartz.info/bradabramswhatismanagedcode/)

September 27, 2007 at 5:53 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment76403
PingBack from http://fineartz.info/bradabramswhatismanagedcode/ http://fineartz.info/bradabramswhatismanagedcode/

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Web 2.0 .NET vs. LAMP Part 3: Managed Code (http://blog.contextweb.com/contextual/web20netvslamppart2managedcode)

February 27, 2008 at 9:30 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment85383
PingBack from http://blog.contextweb.com/contextual/web20netvslamppart2managedcode
http://blog.contextweb.com/contextual/web20netvslamppart2managedcode

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Channel 9 (http://beta.channel9.msdn.com/forums/Coffeehouse/3200CansomeoneexplainManagedCodeinlaymans
terms/#CommentID=3214)
June 1, 2008 at 1:53 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment91013
Oop, after writing the above I found this:

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Manage What? « Brownie’s Blog (http://chiafong6799.wordpress.com/2006/04/20/managewhat/)

July 17, 2008 at 12:14 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment93103
PingBack from http://chiafong6799.wordpress.com/2006/04/20/managewhat/
http://chiafong6799.wordpress.com/2006/04/20/managewhat/

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3/3/2017 Whatismanagedcode?BradAbrams
mihai (http://hpcconsulting.ro/csb/blogs/mihai/archive/2008/09/17/tutorialaspnetepisodul1.aspx)
September 16, 2008 at 3:26 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment95313
Resurse pentru acest articol Enun i aici resursele asociate acestui articol: http://www.hpcconsulting http://www.hpcconsulting

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What is 'managed code'? | keyongtech (http://www.keyongtech.com/2294428whatismanagedcode)

January 21, 2009 at 9:33 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment100023
PingBack from http://www.keyongtech.com/2294428whatismanagedcode http://www.keyongtech.com/2294428whatis
managedcode

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Bhavik’s blog » managed code vs unmanaged code… (http://www.bhavikcontractor.com/blog/?p=43)

February 6, 2009 at 1:38 pm https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment100513
PingBack from http://www.bhavikcontractor.com/blog/?p=43 http://www.bhavikcontractor.com/blog/?p=43

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Tutorial ASP.NET episodul 1 (http://www.hpcconsulting.ro/blog/?p=46)

February 26, 2009 at 7:31 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment100943
PingBack from http://www.hpcconsulting.ro/blog/?p=46 http://www.hpcconsulting.ro/blog/?p=46

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What Is Managed Code and Unmanaged Code? (http://www.davidtan.org/whatismanagedcodeandunmanagedcode/)

March 12, 2009 at 7:47 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment101553
PingBack from http://www.davidtan.org/whatismanagedcodeandunmanagedcode/ http://www.davidtan.org/whatismanaged
codeandunmanagedcode/

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Troubleshooting application crash issues with Application Verifier Tool (http://www.ditii.com/2009/05/23/troubleshootingapplication

crashissueswithapplicationverifiertool/)
May 23, 2009 at 6:15 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment105013
PingBack from http://www.ditii.com/2009/05/23/troubleshootingapplicationcrashissueswithapplicationverifiertool/
http://www.ditii.com/2009/05/23/troubleshootingapplicationcrashissueswithapplicationverifiertool/

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Brad Abrams What is managed code | basketball hoop (http://thebasketballhoop.info/story.php?id=2687)

June 18, 2009 at 2:35 am https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brada/2004/01/09/whatismanagedcode/#comment110573
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