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---
title: Frameworks and Targets
description: Explains the concepts of framework targets when writing .NET code.
keywords: .NET, .NET Core
title: Target frameworks | Microsoft Docs
description: Information surrounding target frameworks for .NET Core applications and libraries.
keywords: .NET, .NET Core, framework, TFM
author: richlander
ms.author: mairaw
ms.date: 09/19/2016
ms.date: 04/27/2017
ms.topic: article
ms.prod: .net
ms.technology: dotnet-standard
ms.devlang: dotnet
ms.assetid: 6ef56a2e-593d-497b-925a-1e25bb6df2e6
---

# Frameworks and Targets
# Target frameworks

The .NET ecosystem has a concept of frameworks. Frameworks define the API that you can use to target a particular platform. The .NET Framework 4.6 is one of those platforms. Frameworks are used in Visual Studio and other IDEs and editors to provide you with the correct set of APIs. They are also used by NuGet, for both production and consumption of NuGet packages, to ensure that you produce and use appropriate packages (and underlying assets) for the framework you are targeting. One can think of frameworks as one of the key currencies in the .NET ecosystem. The concept is there for correctness, to help you and your customers avoid seeing @System.MissingMethodException and friends at runtime.
*Frameworks* define the objects, methods, and tools that you use to create apps and libraries. The .NET Framework is used to create apps and libraries primarily for execution on systems running a Windows operating system. .NET Core includes a framework that allows you to build apps and libraries that run on a variety of operating systems.

## Framework Versions
The terms *framework* and *platform* are sometimes confusing given how they're used in phrases. Making interpretation worse, the term *platform* has different meanings in different contexts. For example, you'll see ".NET Core" described as the ".NET Core framework" in the context of building apps and libraries and also described as the ".NET Core platform" in the context of where app and library code is executed. A *computing platform* describes *where and how* an application is run. Since .NET Core executes code with the [.NET Core Common Language Runtime (CoreCLR)](https://github.com/dotnet/coreclr), it's also a platform. The same is true of the .NET Framework, which has the [Common Language Runtime (CLR)](clr.md) to execute app and library code that was developed with the .NET Framework's framework objects, methods, and tools. You'll frequently see the term "cross-platform" in documentation; but when you see that term, you should think "cross-operating system and cross-architecture (x86, x64, arm)," because that's the meaning that the author usually intends to convey.

The table below defines the set of frameworks that you can use, how they are referred to and which version of the [.NET Standard Library](library.md) that they implement.
The objects and methods of frameworks are called Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Framework APIs are used in [Visual Studio](https://www.visualstudio.com/), [Visual Studio for Mac](https://www.visualstudio.com/vs/visual-studio-mac/), [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/), and other Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and editors to provide you with the correct set of objects and methods for development. Frameworks are also used by [NuGet](https://www.nuget.org/) for the production and consumption of NuGet packages to ensure that you produce and use appropriate packages for the frameworks that you target in your app or library.

| Framework | Latest Version | Target Framework Moniker (TFM) | Compact Target Framework Moniker (TFM) | .NET Standard Version | Metapackage |
|:--------: | :--: | :--: | :--: | :--: | :--: | :--: |
| .NET Standard | 1.6 | .NETStandard,Version=1.6 | netstandard1.6 | N/A | [NETStandard.Library](https://www.nuget.org/packages/NETStandard.Library)|
| .NET Core Application | 1.0.1 | .NETCoreApp,Version=1.0 | netcoreapp1.0 | 1.6 | [Microsoft.NETCore.App](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.NETCore.App)|
| .NET Framework | 4.6.2 | .NETFramework,Version=4.6.2 | net462 | 1.5 | N/A |
When you *target a framework* or target several of them, you've decided which sets of APIs and which versions of those APIs you would like to use. Frameworks are referenced in several ways: by product name, by long- or short-form framework names, and by family.

> [!NOTE]
> These framework versions are the latest stable versions. There may be pre-released versions as well that are not described by this table.
## Referring to frameworks

## Writing about Frameworks

There are multiple ways to refer to frameworks in written form, most of which are used in this documentation. They are described below, both as a legend for interpreting the documentation but also to guide use in other documents.

Using .NET Framework 4.6.1 as an example, the following forms can be used:
There are several ways to refer to frameworks, most of which are used throughout the .NET Core documentation. Using .NET Framework 4.6.2 as an example, the following formats are used:

**Referring to a product**

You can refer to a .NET platform or runtime.

- ".NET Framework 4.6.1"

**Referring to a Framework**

You can refer to a framework or targeting of a framework using long- or short-forms of the TFM. Both are equally valid in the general case.

- `.NETFramework,Version=4.6.1`
- `net461`

**Referring to a family of Frameworks**

You can refer to a family of frameworks using long- or short-forms of the framework ID. Both are equally valid in the general case.

- `.NETFramework`
- `net`
You can refer to a .NET platform or runtime. Both are equally valid.

* .NET Framework 4.6.2
* .NET 4.6.2

**Referring to a framework**

You can refer to a framework or targeting of a framework using long- or short-forms of the TFM. Both are equally valid.

* `.NETFramework,Version=4.6.2`
* `net462`

**Referring to a family of frameworks**

You can refer to a family of frameworks using long- or short-forms of the framework ID. Both are equally valid.

* `.NETFramework`
* `net`

## Latest framework versions

The following table defines the set of frameworks that you can use, how they're referenced, and which version of the [.NET Standard Library](library.md) they implement. These framework versions are the latest stable versions. Pre-release versions aren't shown.

| Framework | Latest Version | Target Framework Moniker (TFM) | Compact Target Framework Moniker (TFM) | .NET Standard Version | Metapackage |
| :-------------------: | :------------: | :----------------------------: | :------------------------------------: | :-------------------: | :---------: |
| .NET Standard | 1.6.1 | .NETStandard,Version=1.6 | netstandard1.6 | N/A | [NETStandard.Library](https://www.nuget.org/packages/NETStandard.Library) |
| .NET Core Application | 1.1.1 | .NETCoreApp,Version=1.1 | netcoreapp1.1 | 1.6 | [Microsoft.NETCore.App](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.NETCore.App) |
| .NET Framework | 4.6.2 | .NETFramework,Version=4.6.2 | net462 | 1.5 | N/A |

## Supported frameworks

A framework is typically referenced by a short target framework moniker or *TFM*. In .NET Standard, this is also generalized to *TxM* to allow a single reference to multiple frameworks. The NuGet clients support the following frameworks. Equivalents are shown within brackets (`[]`).

| Name | Abbreviation | TFMs/TxMs |
| -------------------------- | ------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| .NET Standard | netstandard | netstandard1.0 |
| | | netstandard1.1 |
| | | netstandard1.2 |
| | | netstandard1.3 |
| | | netstandard1.4 |
| | | netstandard1.5 |
| | | netstandard1.6 |
| .NET Core | netcoreapp | netcoreapp1.0 |
| | | netcoreapp1.1 |
| .NET Framework | net | net11 |
| | | net20 |
| | | net35 |
| | | net40 |
| | | net403 |
| | | net45 |
| | | net451 |
| | | net452 |
| | | net46 |
| | | net461 |
| | | net462 |
| Windows Store | netcore | netcore [netcore45] |
| | | netcore45 [win, win8] |
| | | netcore451 [win81] |
| .NET Micro Framework | netmf | netmf |
| Silverlight | sl | sl4 |
| | | sl5 |
| Windows Phone | wp | wp [wp7] |
| | | wp7 |
| | | wp75 |
| | | wp8 |
| | | wp81 |
| | | wpa81 |
| Universal Windows Platform | uap | uap [uap10.0] |
| | | uap10.0 [win10] [netcore50] |

## Deprecated frameworks

The following frameworks are deprecated. Packages targeting these frameworks should migrate to the indicated replacements.

| Deprecated framework | Replacement |
| -------------------- | ----------- |
| aspnet50 | netcoreapp |
| aspnetcore50 | |
| dnxcore50 | |
| dnx | |
| dnx45 | |
| dnx451 | |
| dnx452 | |
| dotnet | netstandard |
| dotnet50 | |
| dotnet51 | |
| dotnet52 | |
| dotnet53 | |
| dotnet54 | |
| dotnet55 | |
| dotnet56 | |
| netcore50 | uap10.0 |
| win | netcore45 |
| win8 | netcore45 |
| win81 | netcore451 |
| win10 | uap10.0 |
| winrt | netcore45 |

## Precedence

A number of frameworks are related to and compatible with one another but not necessarily equivalent:

| Framework | Can use |
| -------------------------------- | --------- |
| uap (Universal Windows Platform) | win81 |
| | wpa81 |
| | netcore50 |
| win (Windows Store) | winrt |
| | winrt45 |

## .NET Standard

The [.NET Standard](https://github.com/dotnet/standard) simplifies references between binary-compatible frameworks, allowing a single target framework to reference a combination of others. For more information, see the [.NET Standard Library](library.md) topic.

The [NuGet Tools Get Nearest Framework Tool](http://nugettoolsdev.azurewebsites.net/) simulates the NuGet logic used for the selection of one framework from many available framework assets in a package based on the project's framework. To use the tool, enter one project framework and one or more package frameworks. Select the **Submit** button. The tool indicates if the package frameworks you list are compatible with the project framework you provide.

## Portable Class Libraries

For information on Portable Class Libraries, see the [Portable Class Libraries](https://docs.microsoft.com/nuget/schema/target-frameworks#portable-class-libraries) section of the *Target Framework* topic in the NuGet documentation. Stephen Cleary created a tool that lists the supported PCLs. For more information, see [Framework Profiles in .NET](http://blog.stephencleary.com/2012/05/framework-profiles-in-net.html).