Can C# run without .NET?

[aidancheddar]

Please note that this is highly technical. I don't expect everyone to get what I'm saying, but a little research goes a long way.
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Those who are more seriously, deep, into programming (I presume) probably question C#'s ability to run without Microsoft .NET or Mono (if you're on Mac or Linux). Project Dollhouse is written in this language. Regarding the question, well, it's two-fold: yes, and no.

However, the language specification does not state the code generation requirements of the compiler: that is, it does not state that a C# compiler must target a Common Language Runtime, or generate Common Intermediate Language (CIL), or generate any other specific format. Theoretically, a C# compiler could generate machine code like traditional compilers of C++ or Fortran.

But does this answer the question? Can C# compile to machine code? Is the theory correct?

Yes. Mono has been able to do for a while, but it's not without it's technical limitations. So, where's the no? Microsoft, ya' know, the people who invented C#, are now just getting in on the act and it's limitation is the it's a preview limited to the Windows Store. Mono, on the other hand, is mature and one of the reasons why Xamarin, the creators of Mono, are able to offer iOS support.

So, what's the voodoo behind MonoDevelop?