Microsoft’s .NET Core framework has seen a year-on-year increase by professional programmers.
By providing a platform that can work on Windows, Linux, and mobile devices, .NET Core means less coding. You can choose from several languages like VB.NET to high-level options like C#.
But what is .NET Core? And how does it differ from the original .NET Framework?
Read on to learn how .NET Core works and what you can use it to do. Discover the best IDE to code your projects with. Then find out how to make your life easier through third-party libraries.
What Is .NET Core and .NET Framework?
.NET Core is Microsoft’s all-purpose framework to build software apps on any platform. Unlike its predecessor .NET, the new Core flavor works on:
- Microsoft Windows
- MacOS
- Linux
- iOS and Android
Because .NET Core is a framework it means you can select from a number of programming languages. These include VB.NET, C#, XAML, TypeScript, and F#. They are all open-source so you don’t need to pay Microsoft a service charge to use them.
ASP.NET Core also enables you to make web apps and web APIs. It uses MVC architecture to produce stable code that can scale to any size of a project.
What Do You Use .NET Core For?
Coders love the versatility because one system allows you to create web and mobile apps or cloud services and games.
The Internet of Things (IoT) will soon dominate the global coding landscape. You can join that revolution through .NET Core.
The framework also includes a mature set of class libraries to choose from. There are common APIs you can tap into also. Even better, plug into a third-party component library to enhance your projects with a few lines of code.
For example, you can convert iText7 HTML to PDF .NET Core makes that possible with the right third-party tool using C#.
How Does .NET Core Work?
The framework acts as a foundation for you to build any type of application. Simply choose a language, select a template if you wish, and import the classes you require.
.NET Core uses a consistent API model. This works on multiple platforms so it’s fully shareable. It’s designed to work with modern requirements like building scalable mobile apps and async tasks.
The framework works on a range of architectures including x86, x64, and ARM systems. That covers almost all of the modern web.
How to Use .NET Core
Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio 2019 are two of the best IDEs (Integrated Development Environment). And they both support .NET Core out of the box.
Download Visual Studio Code for free and use it to develop not just .NET Core apps but any type of application.
More .NET Core Tips and Advice
This article has answered what is .NET Core and how it builds on Microsoft’s original .NET framework.
By adding additional third-party components you can extend its functionality even further. A few lines of code can create a PDF from a raw HTML string in C#. And it will work on any operating system and device!
Learn more about how to use .NET Core in our technology section.