.NET is one of the most widely used software development frameworks. ASP.NET Core is the 6th most used web framework in 2021, the popularity of which continues to grow.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the .NET framework. There are over 5 million dot net developers across the world. According to Stack Overflow's survey, it has been the most loved platform for three years now - 2019, 2020, and 2021.
From offering basic web development to complex and advanced enterprise software, . NET application development has come a long way. 23.33% of the top 10,000 websites use ASP.NET development services for their application needs.
Today, .NET has several variations in the form of ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, and .NET Core. Its latest version, .NET 7, is highly anticipated by developers. It brings several amazing features and benefits that simplify the development process for developers and enterprises.
Let us first look at how .NET evolved and the various ways through which it has assisted in application development.
Read more: 7 Reasons to Use Microsoft .NET Framework for App Development
The Beginning and Evolution of .NET
.NET was launched on 13th February 2002. The framework was built to serve the needs of the Internet revolution. It had libraries, APIs, multiple language support, one runtime, and several other features that were needed to create the best of applications.
Here's how .NET application development services evolved over the years -
-
Launching .NET: Windows-only software
Launched 20 years ago, .NET was meant for Windows-only. Companies could hire dot net developers to create software on and for the Windows operating system. Developers could easily run software on Windows and create interactive applications with ease.
-
Getting Inspired: ASP.NET MVC
In 2008, when Ruby on Rails was high in popularity, no one would have thought of hiring an ASP.NET development company. This inspired the development of ASP.NET MVC and the Nuget repository. It simplified web development through the features of ASP.NET MVC.
-
Going Transparent: open-sourcing ASP.NET MVC
In 2012, Microsoft started accepting contributions to the ASP.NET MVC web framework by making it open-source. It was a big step as now the framework could have the ideas and insights of developers all across. This led to major improvements in the framework and its operations.
-
Cross-platform Transformation: .NET for everyone
In 2016, the Microsoft team released the first version of the open-source .NET framework in the Red Hat DevNation conference. It was the early days of the cross-platform era, and .NET had made its mark by running on Linux. Today, .NET is available for all major platforms - Windows, Linux, and macOS.
-
Building the Future: .NET 6 and .NET 7
.NET 6 was released in November 2021, which brought in major developments in the framework. There's a unified set of base libraries and SDK, a simplified development experience with investments in C# 10 and minimal APIs, high productivity with hot reload, and a whole lot more. .NET 6 is the fastest version of .NET to date. .NET 7 preview 1 was released in February 2022, which includes annotations to APIs to support nullability, ongoing JIT compiler optimizations, new APIs, and support for more hot reload scenarios.
Why Enterprises Use .NET in 2022
Companies like Samsung, JP Morgan Chase, Intel, Microsoft, and other big giants use dotnet development services. The framework offers amazing capabilities for enterprise application development. From functional user experiences to interactive dashboards, a dot net development company can assist with building all kinds of simple to complex software.
In 2022, .NET is all set to charm the developer community with its new features in .NET 6 and .NET 7 preview 1. Let's have a look at why developers and enterprises choose to hire a net development company and utilize the .NET framework in 2022:
-
Cross-platform Development
- One of the biggest advantages of the .NET framework is that it offers cross-platform development. Enterprises can hire .NET developers to work on macOS, Linux, or Windows.
- It simplifies the process of testing the software on multiple platforms and enables developers to work on any system they wish. It also entails that developers can build an application on any platform at a lower cost. .NET also provides solutions to run mobile apps on Android and iOS.
-
Secure Applications
- .NET offers a high level of security in application development. Any software development company that offers .NET knows how secure the framework is.
- The framework has in-built Windows authentication for securing the entire application. It also provides cryptography classes that allow developers to encrypt and decrypt confidential data with ease. There are multiple security mechanisms that help in avoiding phishing attacks, SQL injections, and much more.
-
Rich Set of Libraries
- With a wide range of libraries and tools for development, .NET is one of the most resourceful development frameworks. The NuGet package manager simplifies finding and implementing these libraries in various applications.
- There are Integrated Development Environments like Visual Studio - which provides a complete development solution for applications and enterprise software. It has amazing features from developing to debugging that almost every dot net developer admires in the framework.
-
Wide Community
- Another amazing benefit of .NET is that it has a wide community. There are over 5 million .NET developers across the globe. Companies can easily hire dotnet developers who have years of experience and unmatched skills.
- The community frequently updates the framework, provides the necessary support, and ensures that the framework operates in a suitable condition. Developers are available to assist on different projects, and there's enough documentation to ensure that nobody ever gets lost in the development process.
-
Reliable Performance
- Enterprises trust .NET because it is reliable, productive, and offers scalability. Developers utilize Modern language constructs like generics, Language Integrated Query (LINQ), and asynchronous programming to quickly build applications.
- .NET also performs much faster than several other popular frameworks. It takes less response time and utilizes lower computer & memory power. From tasks like server-side rendering to database access, .NET delivers on the performance benchmarks set in the industry.
Wrapping Up
For the past 20 years, .NET has brought the imagination of developers and enterprises to reality. It continues to be one of the most in-demand and popular frameworks for web application development. With .NET 7 coming to action and ASP.NET Core reigning in web development, the framework is sure to see another glorious 20 years.
If you are looking for a .NET application development company with experience and skill, BoTree Technologies can help.
Contact us today for a FREE CONSULTATION.
