The moment all .NET developers were waiting for has finally arrived. Microsoft, the creator of .NET, has announced the release of its latest version: .NET 8. As per the official release, .NET 8, termed as the Long Term Service (TLS) version, will have community support for three years from the date of its release: 14th November 2023.
In this update, Microsoft has also introduced F# 8, C# 12, and .NET MAU as part of .NET 8. Let’s explore some of the newly unveiled features that are set to catch your attention:
- Brand New Code Generator: Microsoft’s .NET 8 introduces Dynamic Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO), a novel code generator that dramatically enhances application performance. By leveraging real-world usage patterns, PGO optimizes code on an as-needed basis, potentially boosting application performance by up to 20%.
- Adoption of Large Language Models (LLM): In the recent update, the incorporation of large language models (LLMs) into applications, following the models of GPT-4 and Bard, will empower developers to introduce AI capabilities into their software. Consequently, this integration will lead to substantial improvements in application performance and user experience.
- Optimized Containers: Microsoft has introduced enhanced security measures for containers in .NET 8. Every .NET image now includes a non-root user, enabling more secure containers with straightforward configuration. Moreover, Chiseled Ubuntu image variants are available to strengthen security further and forestall potential cyberattacks. You can utilize Dockerfiles or SDK tooling to develop applications and container images for any architecture.
- Advanced Compiler: .NET 8 has replaced the Just-in-Time (JIT) compiler with an Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compiler to improve performance. As a result, deployment of the JIT compiler and IL code is no longer required. AOT apps only deploy the necessary code for your application, enabling execution in restricted environments where JIT compilers are unavailable.
How To Download .NET 8?
The one question in every .NET developer’s mind is how to download the latest update. To download .NET 8, just follow these steps:
- Visit the .NET 8 download page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/8.0.
- Select the appropriate download for your operating system
- Run the installer
- Once the installation is complete, you can start using .NET 8 to develop applications right away
In addition to downloading the .NET 8 SDK, you can also install the .NET 8 Runtime, which is required to run .NET 8 applications. You can download the .NET 8 Runtime from the same page as the SDK.
References:
https://sdtimes.com/msft/net-8-arrives-with-new-features-for-building-intelligent-apps/
