Explore The Top .NET 8 Features

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.NET is a powerful, cross-platform framework developed by Microsoft, designed for creating diverse applications, including web, desktop, mobile, and cloud-based solutions. It supports multiple programming languages and provides a unified development environment with libraries, tools, and runtime environments. On November 14, 2023, Microsoft released .NET 8, the latest Long-Term Support (LTS) version of its premier development platform, introducing significant enhancements in performance, stability, and security.

This latest release revolutionizes the development of intelligent, cloud-native applications and high-traffic services, offering a streamlined approach for deployment on Linux, Windows, containers, or preferred cloud models. With .NET 8, developers can leverage a collection of libraries addressing key challenges such as observability, resiliency, scalability, and manageability, all of which are currently employed by high-scale services at Microsoft.

Let’s browse upon some of the notable key feature’s .NET 8.

1. Long-Term Support (LTS) Release

With the release of the previous version of .NET, a structured release process was established. Versions with odd numbers have an 18-month support duration and are referred to as Standard Term Support (STS) releases.

.NET 8 is categorized as a Long-term Support (LTS) release, which means that Microsoft will continue to provide upgrades and extended support for it (for up to three years), in contrast to NET 7. Because LTS releases are made to be stable and continuous, they are appropriate for enterprise applications that need ongoing maintenance. For vital programs, users can depend on Long Term Support (LTS) versions, which receive upgrades, bug fixes, and security patches beyond the regular support cycle. Extended support offers a dependable basis for ongoing software development and deployment by ensuring that companies can sustain the security and stability of their programs for a longer period of time without having to replace them frequently.

2. ASP.NET Core 8

Significant enhancements are included in ASP.NET Core 8, such as improved Blazor, SignalR, minimum APIs, Native AOT, and updated HTTP.sys and Kestrel servers. The 18% speed increase over .NET 7 and Native AOT support, which enable the integration of self-contained apps into native code and lower deployment sizes, startup times, and memory usage, are two of the product’s primary features.

3. Entity Framework Core 8

Many improvements are included in Entity Framework Core 8, including support for JSON column mapping, raw SQL queries, lazy loading, and a new HierarchyId type. With these enhancements to data modeling and database interface, EF Core 8 becomes an even more potent tool for developers dealing with intricate data structures.

4. C# 12 Enhancements

.NET 8 includes C# 12, bringing new language features that enhance code conciseness and expressiveness. Primary constructors allow for simpler syntax in classes and structs, eliminating boilerplate code. Additionally, C# 12 introduces new default values for lambda expressions and improved aliasing capabilities, streamlining code and reducing the need for overloading or null checks.

5. Blazor Update

With the help of the .NET framework Blazor, enthusiastic .NET programmers can construct interactive web applications in C# and .NET as an alternative to the more common JavaScript. It creates a more cohesive web development environment by enabling the creation of single-page apps with client-side and server-side components.

Blazor components that use server-side rendering (SSR) can now send content changes across the response stream. The user experience is considerably enhanced by this functionality.

One of the major advantages of Blazor SSR is that it can now manage form postings more efficiently. The creation of online forms and submission handling are made easier by this functionality.

Considering all of these improvements, full-stack web UI is the most significant advancement in the Blazor ecosystem. Its goal is to make Blazor the “go-to UI framework” for contemporary .NET online applications.

6. AI & ML Support

The expanded support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in .NET 8 facilitates the integration of sophisticated algorithms and models into applications by developers. Better automation, predictive modeling, and data analysis are made possible by increased AI and ML support, which also makes it possible to create more intelligent and data-driven applications.

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7. JSON Improvements

JSON serialization and deserialization are improved in .NET 8, which also supports floating-point hardware and new numeric types. The ability to handle unmapped members in JSON payloads is a noteworthy improvement that enhances error handling and data integrity. More flexibility over JSON data processing is now available to developers thanks to the JsonUnmappedMemberHandlingAttribute, which allows them to specify how unmapped members are handled.

8. Native AOT Support

Significant improvements are made possible by native AOT (Ahead-of-Time) support in .NET 8, which includes enhanced macOS compatibility, size optimization for Linux apps, and the option to combine speed and size optimizations. By combining all dependencies into a single file and doing away with the requirement for a separate runtime, Native AOT enables applications to be published as standalone versions.

9. Time Abstraction

Developers can simulate time in test scenarios with the help of the recently released TimeProvider class and ITimer interface in .NET 8. Because it can imitate time-dependent behaviors and increase the reliability of test results, this capability is very helpful in testing contexts.

10. Cryptography Enhancements

As a more secure option to SHA-2, .NET 8 adds support for SHA-3 in response to the growing threat of cyberattacks. Additionally, the update enhances RSA ephemeral operations and expands the System’s randomness-related capabilities. Cryptography and Random Number Generators improve security and lower the possibility of cyberattacks.

Wrapping Up

Hope the above pointers helped you learn more about the key features of .NET 8.

With a plethora of new features and enhancements that improve security, performance, and developer productivity, .NET 8 is a major advancement in the .NET ecosystem. Developers can rely on .NET 8 for long-term reliability with its LTS version, which makes it a great option for enterprise applications. With .NET 8, you may create cloud-native apps, integrate AI and ML, or improve online and mobile apps. These are just a few of the features that can help you advance your development.

Happy Reading!

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