In Microsoft Windows terminology, managed code is computer program code that executes under the management of Microsoft's CLR virtual machine, or another similar virtual machine. It is contrasted with unmanaged code, which is executed directly by the computer's CPU. The benefits of managed code include programmer convenience and enhanced security guarantees. (See the linked articles for further description of the benefits and disadvantages of virtual machine execution environments.)
The programming language used to create the program determines whether it will run as managed code or not. Microsoft's most common languages for creating managed code are C# and Visual Basic .NET.
While the term was popularized by Microsoft in its description of programs executed by the Microsoft CLR, it can be used to describe code intended for any virtual machine execution environment. Thus, for example, the Java programming language can also be described as one that creates managed code, which in this case is executed by the Java Virtual Machine.
