Microsoft .NET Core 2.1.2 x86

A collection of development tools comprising libraries, runtime and compiling components, building a powerful SDK for designing web apps and services
Note: The .NET Core SDK includes the .NET Core runtime so downloading the runtime packages separately is not needed when installing the SDK.

Now included in Visual Studio 2017, .NET Core contains some of the core features of the .NET Framework. It delivers a toolset that includes runtime components, a compiler and libraries that work together to create a SDK fit for developing compelling cross-platform web and console applications.

Easy-to-deploy command line tools
.NET Framework and .NET Core share various libraries and components (such as the JIT, GC), as well as types (for instance, string). However, .NET Core is not compatible with all the .NET Framework models and contains fewer APIs. In other words, it is the smaller brother of .NET Framework, promoting a more simple implementation of the .NET components.

.NET Core has two main parts: the runtime (the libraries, compilers, and so on), and the tooling, meaning the command line tools and the Visual Studio integration components.

Part of the second category, the .NET Core SDK facilitates app development via the command line, implementing the console commands and the support for .NET Framework to help you create compelling console apps. New .NET projects can be initialized without a lot of hassle, once you take the time to go through and get acquainted with the available commands. From creating and publishing a project to compiling and executing it, you can do it all via the shell window of your choice.

Seamlessly integrates with Visual Studio
Microsoft .NET Core can also be deployed and integrated into Visual Studio, allowing developers to create .NET Core solutions within a familiar development environment.

Once .NET Core is installed in the popular IDE, .NET Core class libraries, console and web applications can be created directly from Visual Studio, taking advantage of the IDE's user-friendly layout and its comprehensive set of tools. Additionally, developers can experiment building mixed .NET Core and .NET Framework applications. Detailed tutorials for getting started with .NET Core in Visual Studio are provided by Microsoft.

Open-source .NET development toolkit
The Microsoft .NET Core is a cross-platform development toolkit that features an integrated SDK and command-line tools, as well as Visual Studio integration components. Delivered under an open-source license, it ensures compatibility with .NET Framework, Mono and Xamarin, and delivers the flexibility developers need to build basic console and web-based apps.