.NET 5 – a new generation backend

.NET 5 is an entirely new generation of backend. We would even dare to claim that it is one of the biggest events in the Microsoft world in a long time. But what is actually new? And are there any downsides? We tell you more about the new version.

During late autumn 2020 version 5 of .NET Core was finally released. Now called simply .NET 5 to signal a fresh start for .NET. It is one of the biggest events in the Microsoft world in a long time and it will shake up applications and platforms.

The predecessor, .NET Framework, has since 2002 been the foundation for development at Microsoft. As time passed and the world changed, the framework became outdated. Microsoft saw this and a few years ago started the .NET Core project — where .NET was rebuilt with better and more modern strategies. Since the development of .NET Core ran in parallel with .NET Framework, .NET Core has had, quite literally, free rein to do what is best without being held back by requirements for backward compatibility.

.NET 5 - What's new?

• Open source. .NET is now open source. Development of the platform is driven by the .NET Foundation, a non-profit organization started by Microsoft. Development is governed by clear guidelines to improve and maintain .NET and its ecosystem.
• .NET is cross-platform (Windows, Linux and macOS) which is one of the biggest changes. This now competes with Java. Future versions should be able to run on Android and iOS, which bodes well for mobile app development.
• New and redesigned APIs make the framework easier to understand and smoother to work with. Thanks to .NET being rebuilt as cross-platform, the old and odd Windows-specific solutions are no longer present.
• Better performance. Many scenarios see improvements of 40–50%.
• Many technical "goodies" — for example, .NET Core includes built-in support for JSON handling, support for gRPC, and the built-in web server Kestrel which can run independently of Microsoft IIS. Old favorites from .NET Framework like ASP.NET, MVC, WinForms, WPF and EntityFramework have been ported to and updated for .NET Core. C# is updated to version 9. And there are many more improvements.
• Regular releases of new versions. .NET now has a clear release schedule with a new version each November. Even-numbered versions will be Long Term Support (LTS) releases, which means they will have support for at least three years after release. Odd-numbered versions will have support until three months after the following version is released. As a developer you should therefore carefully consider which versions you base systems on and when they can be upgraded.

Are there any disadvantages?

The downside of .NET 5 taking over is that the .NET Framework becomes outdated technology that will no longer be developed. Because many systems around the world are based on the .NET Framework, companies will be faced with the need to upgrade. Sooner or later they will be forced to switch, as the security of systems based on unsupported technology cannot be guaranteed.

Microsoft has worked hard to make the transition smooth by introducing .NET Standard, keeping well-used APIs unchanged and porting common frameworks to .NET 5. Despite these choices, it is not necessarily easy to upgrade an application. Time and money will need to be invested over the coming years - above all by companies that have built custom solutions such as websites. Companies that provide .NET-based software libraries and frameworks, on which end customers build solutions, will also need to make investments.

Companies that start new application development today should consider using .NET 5 or at least .NET Core 3.1 LTS if possible. If a system is built on the older version today, one will soon be forced to bear the cost of upgrading to .NET 5.

The future of .NET 5

The future for .NET looks bright. Proven technology with millions of users is now better than ever. With open source, Microsoft’s backing and support for all modern platforms there are many reasons to choose .NET for your application.

At Limetta we work with .NET daily. Would you also like to build your system on the latest technology? Talk to us!

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