---
title: SAIF.Framework.Windows overview
summary: High-level purpose, scope, and responsibilities for this library.
status: draft
owner: <owner>
last_reviewed: 2026-09-15
library: SAIF.Framework.Windows
reference_type: package
---

# SAIF.Framework.Windows overview

> **Documentation context:** Packaged Component (NuGet)

`SAIF.Framework.Windows` (packaged as `SAIF.Framework.Windows`, assembly `SAIF.Framework.Console`, root namespace `SAIF.Console`) is a Framework4-classified, generic console/batch-application composition framework. It supplies the entry-point orchestration, command-line argument parsing/validation, console logging, and Autofac-based NHibernate unit-of-work DI wiring that a consuming console application builds on top of, but it defines no concrete application, entity mappings, or authorization logic of its own.

## Purpose
- Provide a reusable base for building SAIF console/batch applications: an entry-point orchestrator, an application lifecycle base class, a command-line argument parsing/validation pipeline, a console/file logging subsystem, and Autofac-based data-access composition wiring.
- Consumed by SAIF console/batch applications that derive from `ProgramRunnerBase`/`SaifStandardProgramBase` and `ConsoleBase` to obtain standardized argument handling, logging, exit-code semantics, and Oracle/SQL Server unit-of-work registration without re-implementing this scaffolding in every application.

## Responsibilities
- Orchestrate the console application entry point: argument resolution, Autofac container composition, application resolution, and exception-to-exit-code translation.
- Own the application lifecycle (`Initialize()`/`Execute()`/`Finish()`) and run timing via `ConsoleBase`.
- Parse and validate command-line arguments through a reflection-driven resolver pipeline.
- Provide console and numbered-file logging via `IConsoleLogService`/`ConsoleLogService` and `ILogWriter`/`LogWriter`.
- Compose Oracle and SQL Server NHibernate unit-of-work registrations into a consuming application's Autofac container via `AutofacExtensions.RegisterCommonDependencies` and `DatabaseConfig`/`OracleConfig`/`SqlServerConfig`.
- Define a typed exception/exit-code hierarchy (`SaifConsoleException` and subclasses) that maps thrown exceptions to process exit codes.

## Key components
- `ProgramRunnerBase<TApplication, TArgumentContainer>` / `SaifStandardProgramBase<TApp, TArgContainer>`: entry-point orchestrator and standardized `Main()` scaffolding.
- `ConsoleBase<TArgContainer>`: application lifecycle base class (`Initialize`/`Execute`/`Finish`, run timing, header/footer logging).
- `ICommandLineParser` / `PatternCommandLineParser` / `SaifStandardCommandLineParser`: regex-driven command-line argument parsing.
- `ArgumentContainerBase<TArgumentContainer>` / `StandardArgumentContainerBase<TArgumentContainer>` / `ArgumentResolverBuilder<TArgumentContainer>` / `ArgumentResolver<TArgumentContainer, TArgument>`: reflection-driven argument binding and validation.
- `IConsoleLogService`/`ConsoleLogService`, `ILogWriter`/`LogWriter`: console and numbered environment-variable-driven file logging.
- `DatabaseConfig` / `OracleConfig` / `SqlServerConfig`, `AutofacExtensions`: Autofac composition of Oracle/SQL Server NHibernate unit-of-work factories.
- `SaifConsoleException` and subclasses (`BadParameterException`, `CustomErrorException`, `DatabaseErrorException`, `DataErrorException`, `FileInputOutputException`, `NoDataFoundException`): typed exception/exit-code hierarchy.

## Related documentation
- [Index](index.md)
- [Architecture](architecture.md)
- [Dependencies](dependencies.md)
- [Configuration](configuration.md)
- [Operations and processes](operations-processes.md)
- [Business rules](business-rules.md)
- [API reference](api/index.md)

## Sources
- `Console\SAIF.Console\SAIF.Framework.Windows.csproj`
- `Console\SAIF.Console\SAIF.Framework.Windows.nuspec`