.NET Evolution

C# 12.0 .NET 9.0

A comprehensive overview of Microsoft's .NET ecosystem, comparing Framework and Core implementations, their versions, and application types.

.NET Platforms

.NET Framework

The original .NET implementation, designed specifically for Windows platform development.

Windows Only

.NET Core

Modern, modular, cross-platform implementation supporting Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Cross-Platform

.NET Application Models

You can build many types of apps with .NET. To help you build apps faster, app models are built on top of the base libraries.

Web

Build web apps and services for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker.

Mobile

Use a single codebase to build native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and more.

Desktop

Create native apps for Windows and macOS or build apps that run anywhere with web technologies.

Artificial Intelligence and ML

Build smart apps with C#, OpenAI, and Azure.

Cloud

Consume existing cloud services, or create and deploy your own.

Microservices

Create independently deployable microservices that run on Docker containers.

Game Development

Develop 2D and 3D games for the most popular desktops, phones, and consoles.

Internet of Things

Make IoT apps, with native support for the Raspberry Pi and other single-board computers.

LTS and STS Releases

.NET releases are either LTS (Long-Term Support) or STS (Standard-Term Support). LTS releases are supported for at least 3 years and are recommended for most production apps. STS releases provide the latest features and improvements but have a shorter support window.

  • LTS: Long-Term Support, stable and supported for 3+ years.
  • STS: Standard-Term Support, latest features, supported for 18 months.

Version Timeline

.NET Framework

1.0 1.1 2.0 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 4.6 4.8 (Latest)

.NET Core

1.0 1.1 2.0 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 (Latest)

Application Types

Console Apps

Command-line applications that run in a terminal window.

Web Apps

Built with ASP.NET Core (WebApp or MVC Framework).

Service Apps

REST APIs and WebAPI services for backend development.

Mobile Apps

Cross-platform mobile development with Xamarin Framework.

Desktop Apps

Windows applications using WinForms or WPF.

Environment Setup

Windows Platform

Primary development environment for .NET Framework.

Visual Studio 2022

Community Edition for application development.

SQL Server

Primary data storage solution for .NET applications.

C#.NET Highlights

Primary Language

C# is the main language in .NET Framework (alongside VB.NET, VC++, F#.NET).

Object-Oriented

C# is a modern object-oriented programming language.

Familiar Syntax

C# syntax is similar to C++ and core Java, making it easy to learn.

Current Version

C# 11.0/12.0 with modern features and performance improvements.