.NET Core (now renamed to .NET) is a free, open-source, and cross-platform framework for creating modern cloud-based web applications, services, APIs, Mobile and Desktop applications. .NET Core was first released in 2016 by Microsoft as an evolution of the original .NET Framework. Since then, .NET Core has gone through many major updates and is now one of the most popular application development platforms.
Apps and services built with .NET Core can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This provides great flexibility to deploy across different environments.
.NET Core is open source under the MIT license and is developed publicly on GitHub. There are over 100,000 contributors from 3,700 companies.
.NET Core apps consistently rank the fastest in benchmark tests compared to other major frameworks like Node.js, Java, Python, and Go. The runtime is optimized for scalability and throughput.
Multiple versions of .NET Core can be installed on the same machine without conflicts. This makes it easy to update apps between major versions.
.NET Core emphasizes backward compatibility between major versions when possible. Apps generally require a few code changes when upgrading.
The Dot NET Core runtime and libraries are packaged in NuGet packages. Apps include only what they need, keeping them lightweight.
Build web APIs with ASP.NET Core. Use Razor Pages, MVC, gRPC services, SignalR real-time communication, and more.
Integrate with databases like SQL Server, Postgres, MySQL, etc. Implement authentication, authorization, caching, background jobs, messaging, and more.
The major versions of .NET Core are:
The current recommendation is to use the latest LTS release, which is .NET 6 at the time of writing. .NET 7 and beyond bring new features and lower deployment sizes, so upgrading is recommended when possible.
Microsoft guarantees long-term support including security and bug fixes for LTS releases like .NET 6. The latest releases get shorter-term support. Unsupported versions like .NET Core 3.1 should be upgraded.
When building apps with Dot NET Core, you need the .NET Core SDK installed on your development machine for compilation.
The published apps then require the corresponding .NET Core runtime installed on the deployment server to run. The runtime is much smaller than the full SDK.
On Windows, the .NET Core SDK and runtime can be installed with the .NET installer. On Linux or macOS, use the package manager for the distro like apt-get or homebrew.
For container deployments, the Docker image should contain the correct .NET Core runtime version.
A common deployment error is HTTP Error 500.31 - Failed to load ASP.NET Core runtime, meaning the expected runtime version is missing on the server.
The original .NET Framework released in 2002 was limited to Windows only. .NET Core introduced cross-platform capabilities to .NET.
The .NET Framework is only officially supported by Microsoft. .NET Core is open source and accepts contributions from the community.
Dot NET Core emphasizes modularity over a monolithic framework. Apps include only the libraries needed.
The .NET Framework has a large API surface area. .NET Core started with a smaller set of core APIs and expanded over time.
It's easy to get started building web applications with Dot NET Core. Here are Some quick steps:
dotnet run.There are many online tutorials and documentation resources for learning .NET Core. The ASP.NET Core documentation is a great reference for web development.
To get started building your first web APIs and web apps on .NET Core, check out Microsoft's .NET site for guided tutorials.
You can use our free hosting service for ASP.NET Core to deploy your project without any costs. Here you can quickly and easily deploy your application without worrying about infrastructure or maintenance.
.NET Core brings .NET cross-platform and open source while retaining enterprise capabilities. It is a modern, efficient, high-performance framework for building web applications, APIs, microservices, and more.
With support across Windows, Linux, and macOS you can deploy on any cloud platform. It has an active open-source community on GitHub.
If you are looking to build new .NET apps, .NET Core is typically recommended over the .NET Framework unless you have specific needs like desktop apps on Windows.
Get started with .NET Core today and see how it can make you more productive!
Yes, .NET Core is a popular, open-source framework for building web, mobile, desktop, gaming, IoT apps, and more on Windows, Linux, and macOS. You can use our free hosting service to deploy, learn, and practice .NET Core without any costs. Here you can find a variety of articles, and documentation to help you get started. With our free service, you can learn at your own pace and explore the features of .NET Core in a supportive environment.
This error means the necessary files for .NET Core weren't found. Ensure you're in the correct directory and that the project is initialized properly.
Use the command “dotnet run” in the terminal, inside your .NET Core web application directory.
Microservices in .NET Core often communicate using HTTP/REST or message brokers like RabbitMQ.
This error means the system couldn’t find your .NET Core project. Check your directory and project structure.
The “[Authorize]” attribute ensures that the user is authenticated before accessing a method or controller in a .NET Core app.
Update the .NET Core SDK and packages, recompile code, and test. Follow the .NET Core upgrade guide on official .NET Core website.
Built-in lightweight dependency injection for managing dependencies between classes.
For cross-platform development, microservices, and improved performance compared to .NET Framework.
Yes, .NET Core is generally faster than Python, especially for CPU-bound workloads.
It is similar to frameworks like Node.js, Spring, and Django in providing tools and libraries for web development.