Embrace the Future: .NET Core 8.0 and Adaptive Web Hosting

On November 14, 2023, the developer community  welcomed the latest upgrade from Microsoft – .NET Core 8.0. This new version comes with a trove of features and enhancements poised to streamline web development workflows. As a developer or a business owner, aligning with these updates is paramount to ensure your projects stay ahead in the game. This post delves into the notable features of .NET Core 8.0, contrasts it with its predecessor .NET Core 7.0, and details how Adaptive Web Hosting is supporting this new release.

New Features and Enhancements in .NET Core 8.0

Performance Improvements:

• List<T>.AddRange Method Optimization: The method List<T>.AddRange(IEnumerable<T>) has been rewritten to achieve better performance, especially when the sequence is not an ICollection<T>¹.
• Int32.ToString() Optimization: Performance of Int32.ToString() has been significantly improved by caching string values from 0 to 299, and reducing the number of divisions required to convert integers to strings¹.
• File.Copy() Optimization on macOS: File.Copy() method now leverages the OS’s clonefile function (if available) to significantly improve its speed on macOS¹.

Garbage Collection Enhancement:

• Dynamic Adaptation to Application Sizes (DATAS): The new Garbage Collection feature adjusts the application’s memory usage based on Live Data Size, catering especially to bursty workloads in memory-constrained environments like containerized applications¹.

System.Text.Json Serialization and Deserialization:

• Improved Source Generator:
  • Serialization support for types with required and init properties.
  • Enhanced Type Handling including handling of compiler-generated types dynamically.
  • New converter type JsonStringEnumConverter<TEnum> simplifies enum serialization in Native AOT applications¹.

Other Performance Optimizations:

• Jiterpreter: A new runtime feature enabling partial Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation support when running on WebAssembly, enhancing runtime performance².
• New Overloads for Improved Searching: Introduction of new overloads of methods like String.IndexOfAny and MemoryExtensions.IndexOfAny that optimize subsequent searches³.

Enhanced Trimming:

• Enhanced trimming support addresses the compatibility issues with libraries which were present in the previous versions⁴.

Entity Framework Core 8:

• Alignment with .NET 8 as a Long-Term Support (LTS) Release: EF Core 8 introduces new features like changing the sentinel value for properties with database defaults and supporting updates accessing multiple entity types⁵.

Blazor Innovations in .NET Core 8.0

Blazor continues to evolve with .NET Core 8.0, bringing forth a bouquet of new features and enhancements to further refine the developer experience and the performance of Blazor applications.

New Project Template:

Transitioning to .NET Core 8.0 is simplified with a new Blazor Web App project template. This template aids developers in migrating their app’s components and code, adopting new features, and updating the layout and styles of the Blazor Web App, ensuring a smooth transition to the new version¹.

Enhanced Runtime Performance with Jiterpreter:

The introduction of Jiterpreter in .NET Core 8.0 is a significant boon for Blazor applications running on WebAssembly. Jiterpreter enables partial Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation support, promising an improved runtime performance which is crucial for the responsiveness and efficiency of Blazor applications².

Improved Trimming:

.NET Core 8.0 addresses the trimming compatibility issues that were prevalent in the previous versions. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for Blazor apps, as it minimizes the size of the published app by removing unused code, hence speeding up the load times and reducing the bandwidth usage³.

Tooling Enhancements:

The tooling surrounding Blazor has received a face-lift in .NET Core 8.0. Developers can now leverage improved tools for creating, debugging, and analyzing Blazor apps, making the development process more intuitive and efficient.

Transition from .NET Core 7.0 to 8.0

Migrating to .NET Core 8.0 from 7.0 is facilitated by a new Blazor Web App project template that helps developers in moving their app’s components and code, while adopting new features and updating the layout and styles of the Blazor Web App⁶.

Adaptive Web Hosting Support for .NET Core 8.0

Adaptive Web Hosting is excited to announce that we are the first host to offer the new .NET 8.0 on our optimized Windows 2022 hosting platform. We will also be extending our comprehensive support to include .NET Core 8.0. Our commitment to providing top-tier services ensures that our Windows 2022 hosting platform is fully equipped and ready to seamlessly support this latest version. By staying at the forefront of technological advancements, we continue to empower our clients with cutting-edge solutions and robust hosting capabilities, ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to excel in the digital landscape.

Conclusion

With a plethora of new features and enhancements, .NET Core 8.0 is set to offer developers an improved and more efficient environment for building robust web applications.