The beating heart of the .NET Framework is the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which manages the loading and execution of all code running on the platform, provides key enabling services such as JIT compilation, garbage collection, exception management, the security model, debugging and profiles support, native platform integration and much, much more. The CLR is an implementation of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI), an international standard ratified by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA), and is the first and most significant implementation of the CLI. This book specifies how the system goes together, and is indispensible for anyone who wants to understand the CLI or CLR. The many annotations explain and expand on the original standard, clarifying it and connecting the dots to make the system understandable. These annotations are direct from the ECMA CLI team and the Microsoft CLR team, and are available nowhere else. There is truly no competition out - or expected - for this book.