Microsoft recently released .NET Core, extending their Windows development platform to Linux and OS X. This is another step in the transformation of Microsoft's platform strategy.
.NET Core is a cross-platform free and open-source managed software framework similar to .NET Framework. We asked David Carter, our Software Development Manager to tell us the five things he most liked about it:
“There’s lots to like but here are my top five:
- .NET Core runs Windows, Mac and various flavours of Linux. This means you can develop and deploy on whatever platform best suits your organisation.
- .NET Core is open source. Properly open source. You can browse the code on Github and put in Pull Requests.
- .NET Core can be deployed with your application. Different versions can run side by side on the same server. It could even be a Linux server.
- Support for Docker. Docker is a means to easily build and deploy applications. You can pick up your docker container and drop it on a machine and it will just work. It's a big deal and the future of application deployment.
- The .NET Core Command Line Interface (CLI). With modern development tools there has been a shift towards Command Line Interfaces, they allow powerful automation and scripting and are lightweight and easy to use. This has been missing from the .NET world, until now.”
“These are all great features of .Net Core, but I think above all I am most impressed with the new Microsoft attitude. They have committed to delivering tools which are open source, cross platform and lower the barrier to entry. Much of what they are doing is building and enhancing the work that other software sectors have developed. In the process they are giving back to the community to the benefit of all.”
A software framework is a universal, reusable software environment that provides particular functionality as part of a larger software platform to facilitate development of software applications, products and solutions. Software frameworks may include support programs, compilers, code libraries, tool sets, and application programming interfaces (APIs) that bring together all the different components to enable development of a project or solution.
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