Importance of .NET Core and .NET Framework merger into .NET 5

Sandip Malaviya
Samarpan Infotech
Published in
4 min readNov 9, 2020
merger benefits of net core and  net framework into dotnet 5

There is good news for all the developers out there as Microsoft has announced a merger of .NET Core and .NET Framework into .NET 5.

This decision of .NET Core and .NET Framework Merger will benefit the whole ecosystem of .NET 5. You can use it to target different operating systems like Linux, Windows, WebAssembly, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and Android.

Here, we will gain some knowledge regarding this merger, what difference it will make, and also learn the major difference between .NET Core and .NET Framework. This proposed merger will take place in November 2020.

Microsoft dotnet5 unified platform image
Source: devblogs.microsoft.com

Know about .NET Core

.NET Core is the latest open-source and cross-platform. It is one of the highly opted frameworks among developers.

The main reason behind this statement is that it is an ideal mixture of a web development model, which is inclusive of all the vital services for constructing a powerful enterprise web application. It is the perfect technology option for making new apps.

With .NET Core, you can carry out the following things:

  1. It helps in the development of web apps and web services, mobile back end, and other IoT apps. You can select your favorite tool on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
  2. It can be deployed on cloud or on-premises.

Know about .NET Framework

.NET Framework supports more than 60 programming languages out of which 11 languages are developed and designed by none other than Microsoft.

It contains a great set of libraries, which is known as the Framework Class Library. This widely used framework provides user interface controls, network communications, cryptography, and data access layers.

The best thing about this framework is that it offers certain benefits such as version compatibility, platform/language interoperability, reliability, portability, memory management, large class library, easily integrates with legacy systems, and has robust security.

Why It Matters?

Let us known in brief about why the merger thing matters the most:

  • The first and the most obvious reason is the huge market share of .NET Framework and it is being operated on billions of Windows devices. Carrying out its merger with .NET Core would mean that the platform of .NET can now easily access other architectures. Apart from this, it will also be able to run Docker and containers as a whole native.
  • .NET Core has great performance when compared to .NET Framework. Their merger would result in significant optimizations to the entire .NET ecosystem including Docker and Entity Framework.
  • NET Core comprises an advanced development toolset including a robust CLI. This CLI has a great ability to run containers, can easily help in building light-weight microservices, and allows simplified deployment to the cloud.
  • The whole .NET Core development experience is better and less decoupled from commonly used tools like Visual Studio. To be more precise, it can be said that developers simply love .NET Core as it comes with power-packed features and functionalities.

Major Differences between .NET Core vs NET Framework

Cross-Platform

The main purpose is .NET core used to create server applications that run on Windows, Linux, and Mac. It does not currently support creating desktop applications with a user interface when .NET framework 5 will be used to create & support both Native & web applications across multiple OS.

Installation Process

Since .NET Core is cross-platform, it needs to be packaged and installed separately from the underlying OS. When it comes to .NET Framework, it needs to be installed as relevant packages and run-time environment for Windows operating system.

Application Model

NET Core has an application model which comprises of ASP.NET Core and Windows Universal Apps. The .NET Framework has an application model that comprises ASP.NET, Windows Forms, and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

Deployment Ways

Applications created using .NET Core can be deployed directly in the cloud or can be self-hosted by creating their hosting procedure. Web applications created using .NET Framework can be deployed only on IIS (Internet Information Server).

Explore More: NET Core Vs NET Framework: Complete Comparison with Pros and Cons

Final Thoughts

It can be said that the integration process of .NET Core enhancements into .NET is awaited by the whole community of .NET developers. The .NET Core and Framework Merger will simply result in much better performance, CLI, and extensive target installation base.

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Sandip Malaviya
Samarpan Infotech

Sandip is tech enthusiastic with 10+ years expertise in .NET, IoT, AI, Insurance CRM solutions. To follow his passion he found Samarpan Infotech IT Consultancy.