CLI Languages are computer programming languages that are used to produce libraries and programs that conform to the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) specifications. With some notable exceptions, most CLI languages compile entirely to the Common Intermediate Language (CIL), an intermediate language that can be executed using an implementation of CLI such as the Common Language Runtime (CLR, a part of the Microsoft .NET Framework), Mono, or Portable.NET. Some of these languages also require the Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR).
As the program is being executed, the CIL code is compiled and cached, just in time, to the machine code appropriate for the architecture on which the program is running. This step can be shortcut manually and cached at an earlier stage using an "ahead of time" compiler such as Microsoft's ngen.exe and Mono's "-aot" option.
CLI languages
- Common CLI Languages
- A#: CLI implementation of Ada.
- Boo: A statically typed CLI language, inspired by Python.
- C#: Most widely used CLI language, bearing similarities to Java, Object Pascal (Delphi) and C++. Implementations provided by .NET Framework, Portable.NET and Mono.
- C++/CLI: A version of C++ including extensions for using CLR objects. Implementation provided only by .NET Framework. Can produce either CIL-based managed code or mixed-mode code that mixes managed and native code. The compiler is provided by Microsoft.
- Cobra: A CLI language with static and dynamic typing, design by contract and built-in unit testing.
- Component Pascal: A CLI-compliant Oberon dialect. It is a strongly typed language in the heritage of Pascal and Modula-2 but with powerful object-oriented extensions.
- ClojureCLR: A native implementation of Clojure (a Lisp dialect) on the Common Language Runtime (CLR). Built on the DLR.
- Eiffel: Purely object-oriented language, focused on software quality, includes integrated design by contract and multiple inheritance. CLI compliant.
- F#: A multi-paradigm CLI language supporting functional programming and imperative object-oriented programming disciplines. Variant of ML and is largely compatible with OCaml. The compiler is provided by Microsoft. The implementation provided by Microsoft officially targets both .NET and Mono.
- IronPython: An open-source CLI implementation of Python, built on the DLR.
- IronRuby: An open-source CLI implementation of Ruby, built on the DLR.
- IronLisp: A CLI implementation of Lisp. Deprecated in favor of IronScheme.
- J#: A CLI-compliant implementation of Java. The compiler is provided by Microsoft. J# has been discontinued. The last version shipped with Visual Studio 2005, and will be supported until 2015.
- JScript .NET: A CLI implementation of ECMAScript version 3, compatible with JScript. Contains extensions for static typing. Deprecated in favor of Managed JScript.
- L#: A CLI implementation of Lisp.
- Managed Extensions for C++: A version of C++ targeting the CLR. Deprecated in favor of C++/CLI.
- Managed JScript: A CLI implementation of JScript built on the DLR. Conforms to ECMAScript version 3.
- Nemerle: A multi-paradigm language similar to C#, OCaml and Lisp.
- Oxygene: An Object Pascal-based CLI language.
- P#: A CLI implementation of Prolog.
- Phalanger: An implementation of PHP with extensions for ASP.NET
- Phrogram: A custom CLI language for beginners and intermediate users produced by The Phrogram Company
- PowerBuilder: Can target CLI since version 11.1.
- Synergy DBL .NET: an object oriented CLI compliant implementation of DBL and DIBOL produced by Synergex.[1]
- Team Developer: SQLWindows Application Language (SAL) since Team Developer 6.0.
- VBx: A dynamic version of Visual Basic .NET built on the DLR. See VBScript and VBA as this could be thought of being used like a Managed VBScript (though so far this name has not been applied to this) and could be used to replace VBA as well.
- Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET): A redesigned, object-oriented dialect of Visual Basic. Implementations provided by .NET Framework and Mono.
- Visual COBOL: A CLI compliant implementation of COBOL with object-oriented extensions. Implementation provided by Micro Focus.
- Windows PowerShell: An object-oriented command-line shell. PowerShell can dynamically load .NET assemblies that were written in any CLI language. PowerShell itself uses a unique scripting syntax, uses curly-braces, similar to other C-based languages.
| - Other CLI languages
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