.NET is a cross-platform, open-source developer platform, created by Microsoft, used to build a range of softwares and applications. Since its introduction in 2003, .NET has improved immensely in the following years. With the use of multiple languages, libraries and even editors, .NET builds compatible applications for all devices. From websites to games, .NET is applied in the development sphere all across the world. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are now using this framework for their operations and to achieve automation. Conaxiom, for example, finds the need for .NET imperative in most of their development projects.

This article will talk about the top seven trends set to be at the forefront in the coming year when it comes to .NET.

1. ASP.NET Core:

ASP.NET Core was released in 2016 and is considered a more advanced version of .NET and is designed to operate in the .NET framework, on Windows and the cross-platform version of .NET. Its high efficiency and excellent performance in the development space, it now being increasingly used by developers all over the world to build mobile and web applications. It is extremely reliable and once learned, allows developers to develop their projects in a much shorter time span. Most importantly, apps developed by ASP.NET work on Linux, Windows and MacOS. This increasing popularity means we can expect to see more of this technology in 2023.

2. Xamarin & .NET:

Developers well versed in .NET Core can now combine Xamarin with it to gain access to more tools and libraries to develop an even wider range of native applications for iOS, Android, Windows and MacOS. Since apps developed using this combination are native apps, they offer much better UI/UX designs lesser glitches and hiccups. This is a newly rising trend and is set to take center stage in the coming year as more and more developers across the world are turning towards combining Xamarin with .NET.

3. Open Source .NET:

As we know, applications developed using .NET are now all open source. Coupled with the release of .NET 6.0, developers have gained access to newer tools and options to create custom applications and softwares. Both Microsoft and the GitHub .NET community regularly work to advance the progress and growth of this technology. Due to .NET’s growing popularity across the world and a growing community of users, we can expect to see more and more development firms utilizing these readymade tools. Moreover, a lot of new open source and integration technologies are now available for users of the .NET Core to meet their rising needs. We expect this trend to become prevalent in the coming year.

4. ML.NET:

With the rise of ML and AI, more and more developers are learning to code these technologies to automate day-to-day repetitive and mundane tasks, in order to achieve increased efficiency in the development process. This automation also points out potential problems in the code and allow for preemptive measures to avoid them. AI and ML are now becoming increasingly popular among .NET developers who are now leveraging these technologies in their development operations. ML.NET’s rapidly growing popularity means we shall get to see more of it in the coming year especially since more and more developers are using it to optimize their projects and avoid problems in their codes.

5. ASP.NET Core Docker Support:

When it comes to development and deployment, both, Docker is increasingly playing a vital role to help developers achieve faster, efficient and secure development and deployment. More importantly, .NET developers and users are now increasingly using Docker support in their processes. Its reliability in increasing speed and security, both at once, means we can expect it to play a pivotal role in the development processes around the world in the coming year.

6. Blazor:

Blazor allows .NET users to develop Single Page Applications for iOS, Android and Windows platforms. They are growing in popularity due to their speed and online performance. Moreover, it helps ASP.NET developers improve their processes in developing complex softwares and makes provisions for applications requiring high bandwidth. There is overwhelming agreement as to its forecasted popularity in the coming year as it will probably become the choice technology for most developers.

7. .NET Framework Security:

Cybercrime has increased in recent years with hackers finding more and more opportunities to steal data. Developers working with .NET who take security seriously have the benefit of increased security measures among the many advancements in the .NET technology. The most popular security features are CAS, SCH and RCR which are three of the many that are now available to all .NET developers that take security seriously when developing and deploying applications. Cybersecurity will always remain a trend in the development space and as such we can expect to see .NET security features taking center stage in the upcoming year.