There are many terms ruling the software industry today— .NET Framework, .NET Core, and .NET, which are all almost the same but used for different purposes, so one should know which to use. The journey that started back in 2002 with the establishment of the .NET framework has seen many transformations in the last two decades.
One such transformation happened with the release of a cross-platform rebuild of the .NET Framework—.NET Core back in 2016. But the question here is—why did Microsoft come up with this release, and how has it evolved over the years?
Let us dive in and find answers to all these questions together!
The Evolution of the .NET
In the late 1990s, Microsoft got down to business with the .NET framework. The novel idea back then was to establish a platform based on what was called “managed code”—a code that can be run in a runtime environment.
It became necessary to streamline the development process and make it more efficient. This allowed engineers to focus on building software instead of handling low-level tasks like security checks, memory management, and other responsibilities traditionally managed by C/C++ developers.
The .NET Framework Era
In 2002, the first .NET Framework was launched, which included C# – a language for writing managed code, whose syntax was similar to C++. The framework was aimed at computers and servers running on Windows.
It contained WinForms—a graphical user interface library, ASP.NET—a web framework, and ADO.NET for access to data, which were driven by the Common Language Runtime (CLR) for compiling and executing managed code.
The .NET Core Era
In 2014, Microsoft made a loud statement that .NET had changed quite drastically. .NET Core was developed, a cross-platform, cloud-friendly, and open-source version of the framework. In 2016, .NET Core was released, becoming the top technology for further .NET projects. Little by little, Microsoft started to port the existing services to interact with Core.
Why is .NET Core Open Source?
Now that you know what .NET Core is, let us discuss why Microsoft released it as open source. While speaking to Wired in 2016, Julia Liuson, the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Division, explained that the best way to reach developers was through open source.
Following this idea, Liuson and her team worked to make .NET more open than ever before. This was not limited to Windows alone but extended to any platform developers wanted to use.
In simpler terms, Microsoft made .NET open source to ensure its adoption and use in more systems. Open-sourcing .NET made Microsoft relevant to developers, and the company’s influence expanded beyond the Windows systems. Plus, open sourcing allowed for cross-platform development. As a result, .NET can now be run on non-Windows systems such as Linux and macOS.
Difference Between .NET Framework and .NET Core Framework
There are commonly two confusions—one is the difference between .NET and ASP.NET, and the other is the difference between the .NET Framework and .NET Core Framework.
Here, we will tell you how the .NET Framework is different from the .NET Core Framework:
Open Source
The entire .NET Core platform is open source and is released under MIT as well as Apache 2 licenses. On the other hand, only specific components of the .NET Framework are open source.
Cross Platform Support
The other difference is that .NET Core runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while .NET Framework only supports Windows.
Architecture
Considering its streamlined design, some subsystems such as code access security in the .NET Framework are not implemented in .NET Core.
API Support
Some parts of APIs (Application Programming Interface) in the decades-spanning .NET Framework have not been ported over into the newer cross-platform .NET Core. The API set will continue expanding with future .NET Core updates.
So, .NET Core is a flexible, open-source framework for modern applications that works for all needs across environments. The .NET Framework only works for Windows. It also has a much bigger API surface area. Needless to say, both of these frameworks have distinct significance in the software industry.
Key Characteristics of Dot NET Core
Isn't the history of .NET Core interesting? Did you fall for it already? If not, here are some amazing characteristics/features of .NET Core that will definitely convince you:
Free & Open Source
The entire .NET Core platform is free and open source. This opens up a vast opportunity for expert developers to build futuristic, enterprise-grade applications. Because of this, a large number of active developers are contributing to .NET Core. They focus not only on creating new solutions but also on enhancing existing features with additional functions and continuous bug fixes.
- Modern
The .NET Core framework is designed to meet the modern requirements of today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing generation, unlike most older frameworks and functionalities. Some modern needs include being mobile-friendly, secure, responsive, scalable, and high-performance.
Cross-Platform
The framework supports Windows, macOS, and Linux OSes. It is also remarkably consistent across architecture, including x64, x86, and ARM. You can import and utilize the assemblies and libraries on substantial platforms. .NET Core supports present-day language constructs utilizing C# version 8, inclusive of object-oriented and modular programming, generics, collections, lambdas, Language Integrated Query, and asynchronous programming.
Faster
When compared to the .NET Framework as well as .NET Core 2.2 and previous versions, the latest ASP.NET version is significantly faster. The ASP.NET Core 6.0 new features and upgrades are more rapid and reliable than any other framework.
Lightweight & Friendly
The framework is very lightweight, as it can be included in your app or installed side-by-side, user, machine-wide, or on a server. You can deploy .NET Core in Docker containers. The .NET Core framework is also compatible with .NET Framework, Xamarin, and Mono, through .NET Standard.
What is .NET Core Used For?
Here are some applications you can build with .NET Core:
Web Applications
The core part of the .NET Core diaspora is ASP.NET Core, a framework designed for building web applications. For the uninitiated, ASP.NET Core comes from the lineage of MVC architecture and provides shared libraries to build the Web.
Mobile Applications
Xamarin presents a series of tools and libraries to make C#-based mobile apps. This facilitates and helps developers to build native apps, such as iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. They develop these apps using a common .NET codebase, which is more transparent and smoother.
Desktop Applications
With .NET Core, you get a bunch of tools and frameworks to build desktop apps. To develop desktop applications, there are four central pillars, namely Windows Forms, WPF, UWP, and Xamarin. One of the best examples of desktop applications using .NET Core is Visual Studio Code. It is a code editor software that professional developers use.
Cloud Applications
With clouds dominating the IT industry, the demand for cloud applications has reached an all-time high. It's worth noting that Azure provides support for a wide range of cloud applications, with Netflix being a notable example.
Internet of Things
IoT (Internet of Things) plays a vital role in mobile app development. With .NET Core support, you can develop IoT through the UWP framework for IoT devices running Windows 10 IoT Core.
Games
C# and UWP are utilized to build various games for TV, AR, VR, Web, mobile, console, and desktop. C# and .NET are a dynamic duo for modern web apps and games.
When to Choose .NET Core?
Here are some situations when you should choose .NET Core:
Cross Platform Needs
If you wish to have your application on different systems, .NET Core is the platform you should be considering. As already mentioned earlier, it runs on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and macOS.
Microservices Approach
.NET Core is the right solution for independent microservices development as it is lightweight and has a modular structure.
High Performance
.NET Core can be used to build applications like Web APIs, microservices, and servers—thanks to its improved efficiency.
Containerization Plans
If you plan to use Docker or similar technologies, note that .NET Core is designed for simplified container deployment and scaling.
Cloud-Native Focus
Dot NET Core is also exceptionally perfect for cloud-native app development. It smoothly integrates with various platforms, including Microsoft Azure. All you need is to hire developers who are experts in building native applications.
Modern Practices
.NET Core is modern, supporting the latest features and aligning with all new development tools and technologies.
Open-Source Collaboration
If you prioritize open source, you should try .NET Core, as it facilitates community contributions and collaborations.
Tech Integration
With the help of several libraries and frameworks, .NET Core supports technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), machine learning, or IoT.
Web Development
.NET Core is well-suited for modern and scalable web applications. Without a doubt, it is the top choice for web development.
What is the Current State of .NET Core Open Source?
In a significant milestone for the ecosystem, .NET Core merged with other frameworks like Mono and Xamarin in November 2020. This unified framework was named .NET 5, with the goal of simplifying development and improving cross-platform compatibility.
A year later, in November 2021, the release of .NET 6 introduced more improvements, including:
- Long-term support (LTS)
- Enhanced performance
- New APIs and tools
This unification and a focus on open source demonstrate a commitment to transparency and modernization.
The .NET Foundation, a non-profit organization, governs the open-source community. This foundation helps support an innovative and commercially friendly ecosystem around the .NET platform. Initiatives like Project Tye and MAUI continue to simplify development and deployment workflows.
The .NET community is very active, with over 100,000 contributions from more than 3,700 companies outside of Microsoft. All parts of the .NET platform, including the runtime, compilers, and core libraries, are open source and hosted on GitHub. This collaborative approach ensures constant development and innovation.
You can learn more about the latest updates and the future of the .NET platform by watching this video from the .NET team.
Hire Dot NET Developers with VLink
Want to level up your software development projects with the top 3% .NET developers? Look no further than VLink. We have a team of skilled .NET developers who deliver superior software that meets your specific requirements. With VLink, you can hire .NET developers in just 48 hours (about 2 days).
Be it custom web applications, enterprise solutions, or software maintenance, our .NET developers are always on top of their game to leave you satisfied.
Join hands with VLink and let us walk you through an outstanding .NET development experience.
Shivisha Patel
