Having a regular schedule for releasing .NET updates is great. In the past,
when using the older .NET Framework, updates were infrequent and didn't bring
significant changes. While it wasn't necessarily a problem, the issue was that
the development platform's progress was linked to Windows updates, which could
mean waiting for years to access new features.
Since transitioning to an open-source platform, especially with the
simultaneous development of .NET Core and the .NET Standard base classes, and
later the integration into a unified .NET, there have been significant
improvements. Now, we receive a yearly update for .NET, connected to the .NET
Conf event held in November. These updates come with 18 months of support for
STS (Standard Term Support) releases and three years of support for LTS (Long
Term Support) releases. It's worth noting that STS releases are odd-numbered
versions, while even-numbered versions are designated as LTS.
The next .NET LTS release
The upcoming .NET release in November 2023, known as .NET 8, is going to be a
significant one. It will be a Long Term Support (LTS) release, meaning it will
be the go-to version for many organizations for the next couple of years.
Building on the changes introduced in .NET 7, this new release will bring even
more features and improvements.
It's a good idea to explore the preview versions that are currently available.
This way, you can see how your existing code adapts to the new version and
figure out any adjustments you might need to make.
Microsoft is actively working on enhancing the .NET platform. They are making
changes to the core compiler to support new language features, particularly in
the latest version of C#. Keeping an eye on these developments can help you
stay up-to-date with the evolving technology.
.NET garbage collector improvements
There's an exciting new feature in .NET, especially useful if you're creating
applications for cloud platforms like Kubernetes. Now, you can dynamically
adjust how much memory your application uses, thanks to the .NET garbage
collector. This means you can easily increase or decrease your app's resource
usage based on demand. When demand is low, applications can reduce their
resource usage to a minimum, saving you money by not paying for unnecessary
resources.
A JSON upgrade
.NET has made enhancements in how it handles JSON serialization and
deserialization. It now supports new numeric types, including the 'half'
struct, which implements an IEEE float16 type. This is particularly useful
when dealing with data for machine learning models.
The half-precision numbers align well with the floating-point hardware used in
accelerators and NPUs, as well as the new numeric instructions in Intel
processors. This alignment simplifies the use of general-purpose GPU compute
tools. By converting numeric values to half-precision during serialization,
tools can work more efficiently, making the whole process smoother and faster.
The .NET team has made significant improvements to its JSON tools. They've not
only added support for new types but also introduced new methods that simplify
writing specific nodes in a JSON document. Additionally, these updates enhance
how .NET handles JSON content.
These improvements are vital because JSON documents are widely used,
especially in cloud-native development. JSON is the most common format for
data when calling REST APIs. These enhancements help maintain the accuracy of
JSON documents, reinforcing .NET's importance in cloud-native development
scenarios.
New .NET methods for randomness
A significant update in .NET involves new tools for randomness. This isn't
just about generating random numbers; it's a more direct way to use randomness
in your code. Instead of performing complex calculations, you can now randomly
select items from a set of inputs and place them in an output array for
immediate use. This tool allows you to shuffle items within a dataset
randomly.
This feature is particularly valuable in machine learning. For instance, it
simplifies the process of shuffling your data. When building a model, having
the ability to change the order of your training and test data each time
reduces the risk of bias in your results. These tools add flexibility and
efficiency to how randomness is applied in programming tasks.
In the recent updates, there are new cryptography tools introduced, and one
notable addition is the support for SHA-3, an alternative to SHA-2. Enhanced
hashing methods are crucial because they prepare your code for upcoming
security standards, ensuring it stays robust against evolving threats.
Additionally, there are improved security features related to web proxies.
Now, these proxies can be accessed over HTTPS, which enhances the privacy of
connections between your applications and the broader internet. This means
your data exchanges with the internet are more secure and less susceptible to
eavesdropping or unauthorized access, contributing to a safer online
experience for users.
.NET and next-gen silicon
Certain new features in .NET are closely linked to advancements in computer
hardware. These features, particularly vector acceleration capabilities based
on the Intel AVX-512 instruction set, might not be available on all devices.
In .NET 8, there's a mechanism to check for AVX support. This allows
developers to write code that can identify if a device supports these advanced
vector instructions. If a device lacks AVX-512 support (for instance, older
machines or those using AMD or Arm processors), developers can implement error
handling to avoid using these new vector instructions on unsuitable hardware.
For devices equipped with AVX-512 hardware, .NET's updated compiler enables
better performance. It optimizes the use of older vector and array
instructions, making use of the newer hardware features, leading to more
efficient and faster processing of data.
One of the updates might seem a bit complex at first glance, especially the
new time abstraction feature. This feature allows you to create a local time
provider that can function in various time zones different from your current
local time or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In simpler terms, it lets you
set up pretend times for testing purposes.
For instance, you can programmatically control the time zone an application
operates in. This is particularly useful when you're testing software, as it
allows you to identify and fix bugs related to time and timers in a controlled
manner. Essentially, it gives developers a tool to simulate different time
scenarios, making it easier to catch and correct any issues related to time
functionality in their applications.
Breaking changes in .NET 8
The main challenges you might face with .NET 8 involve significant changes
that could potentially affect your existing code. However, these changes are
mostly anticipated and not unexpected. They happen due to planned removals or
modifications in the support infrastructure. The good news is, there shouldn't
be too many problems because solutions and alternatives are provided wherever
code adjustments are needed. In essence, while changes are happening, there
are ways to navigate and adapt your code effectively.
.NET has expanded beyond Windows, and this shift brings notable changes,
especially concerning bundled container images. These modifications primarily
stem from updated versions of the underlying Linux systems (like Debian) and
improvements that make the images smaller and more user-friendly.
One significant alteration occurs in Alpine images. Alpine no longer supports
Kerberos, and there are changes in how certificates are stored. While a 3MB
reduction in the size of a container image might not seem significant on its
own, it becomes crucial when you consider the multitude of images deployed in
a Kubernetes application lifecycle. Each 3MB saved in image size adds up
substantially, leading to significant bandwidth savings. So, these seemingly
small reductions collectively make a significant difference, especially in
large-scale applications.
Microsoft offers an updated list of significant changes in its .NET 8 preview
documentation, specifying when each change was introduced (mostly in the
initial preview, with a few in the latest release). Many of these changes
affect how the system behaves. Although some features might have been altered
or removed, there are often new methods or alternative approaches available.
This means even though things might have shifted, there are usually ways to
adapt and continue working effectively.
Watch out for Windows Forms
It's crucial to keep an eye on how .NET 8 handles Windows Forms. Microsoft has
made adjustments in how Windows Forms scales pixels, so it's necessary to test
user interfaces thoroughly before releasing new versions to users. While the
code of the forms may not break, they might not display correctly, leading to
a subpar user experience. These changes are aimed at supporting
high-resolution screens, ensuring that forms appear and function correctly
even when displays are scaled up. Testing becomes vital to guarantee that the
user interface looks right and works well on various screen types.
.NET 8 offers a lot more than what's covered in this brief overview. It
includes features that simplify building pre-compiled applications and enhance
performance, especially on Apple's devices. When you consider all these
improvements collectively, .NET 8 seems like a substantial update, especially
for a Long Term Support (LTS) release.
The enhancements in .NET 8 provide the tools you need to keep your code
competitive and secure for the next three years. This stability and innovation
are exactly what you would expect and desire from a platform like .NET. It
ensures your applications remain robust and up-to-date, ready to meet the
challenges of the evolving technology landscape.
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