Benefits of Meta Data

Metadata is the key to a simpler programming model, and eliminates the need for Interface Definition Language (IDL) files, header files, or any external method of component reference. Metadata enables .NET Framework languages to describe themselves automatically in a language-neutral manner, unseen by both the developer and the user. Additionally, metadata is extensible through the use of attributes. Metadata provides the following major benefits: Self-describing files. Common language runtime modules and assemblies are self-describing. A module's metadata contains everything needed to interact with another module. Metadata automatically provides the functionality of IDL in COM, so you can use one file for both definition and implementation. Runtime modules and assemblies do not even require registration with the operating system. As a result, the descriptions used by the runtime always reflect the actual code in your compiled file, which increases application reliability. Language interoperability and easier component-based design. Metadata provides all the information required about compiled code for you to inherit a class from a PE file written in a different language. You can create an instance of any class written in any managed language (any language that targets the common language runtime) without worrying about explicit marshaling or using custom interoperability code. Attributes. The .NET Framework lets you declare specific kinds of metadata, called attributes, in your compiled file. Attributes can be found throughout the .NET Framework and are used to control in more detail how your program behaves at run time. Additionally, you can emit your own custom metadata into .NET Framework files through user-defined custom attributes