Switching From .NET Framework Applications to .NET 5: Why You Should Do It

There has been a growing buzz around .NET 5 since it was first introduced. And, the upgrade of the app to the latest platform version is a complex exercise. Microsoft made it easy with solid inter-compatibility between libraries between .NET and .NET 5 that makes the migration process smoother. It makes the existing code run faster without any significant transformation by the app developer.

But the main focus, since then, has been the question, ‘Does it make sense to switch to.NET5?’ Well, before we delve into the reasons why you should take the plunge and move to .NET 5, allow us to first explain its main features.

1. Cloud-native support: Microsoft has introduced plenty of changes that boost the framework’s performance in container workload settings. These changes include size reduction for published images, better collection of available images, and further support for orchestration APIs to ensure working with .NET in such environments is significantly easier than before.

2. New publish type: With .NET 5, Microsoft brought in a new publish type that allows the entire app, along with its dependencies, to be output as a single file that is distributed. For the moment, this provision gets 100 percent supported only on Linux. On macOS and Windows, developers will need to furnish additional files at runtime.

3. Unified platform: .NET 5 brings with it a universal set of APIs that sync implementations across different runtimes. This not only allows developers to ensure the application can run on any runtime implementation that supports .NET 5, while still allowing them to create apps meant for specific platforms.

1. Familiarity: The truth remains that the changes you get to see in .NET 5 are not earth-shattering as compared to the previous iteration. This is not a bad thing at all; in fact, this means companies that have been using ASP.NET or ASP.NET Core are already familiar with the MVC architecture. With .NET 5 you get pretty much all of that and high compatibility levels; as a result, working with controllers, views, actions, and even API endpoints in .NET 5 is very familiar and developers experience a level of comfort with it.

2. Performance: Yet another critical reason for switching to .NET 5 is the performance. Experts across the globe agree that when one ports their old apps to the latest iteration of the framework, they will experience a certain increase in performance. While the general average is 25 to 30 percent improvement in speed and performance, some have also reported up to 50 percent faster performance when they merely recompile.

3. Control over updates: .NET receives patches every single month under the purview of the Patch Tuesday exercise. While this may seem great at the outset, the fact remains that these fixes could also result in errors for the app even without the provider making any changes. Thankfully, .NET 5 is not part of the Patch Tuesday program, resulting in developers having complete control over updates.

Migrating to a new framework may understandably seem like a challenging endeavor, but given all that you stand to gain from such a switch, you can rest assured that the effort will be well worth it. However, to ease the process, we highly recommend approaching the process one step at a time instead of rushing into it head-on. It would also be a good idea to engage the services of a reliable .NET development company to help with your migration project.

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