.net-core Understanding System.Runtime vs. mscorlib
Remarks
Every .NET library and programming language utilize a set of elementary data types like System.Int32, System.Object, System.Type or System.Uri. These data types form the base of all other structures including all custom written .NET libraries. All these types are hosted in a base library, which is either mscorlib or System.Runtime.
The libraries which can be used with .NET Core are based on System.Runtime core library while for the .NET Framework (the Windows component) they are based on mscorlib. This essential difference lead to...
- the incompatibility of older libraries since they expect a type
System.Object, mscorlibwhile a .NET Core library would expectSystem.Object, System.Runtime. - a type forwarding facade library called
System.Runtimeto themscorlibin the .NET Framework. This library is otherwise (nearly) empty but enables the usage ofSystem.Runtimebased PCL libraries on the .NET Framework. - a type forwarding
mscorlibto theSystem.Runtimein a future version of .NET Core. - the introduction of the portable class library concept (PCL) and as a second generation the
netstandardas a method of unification between the two core libraries.
AND out of that, countless questions on Stack Overflow.
