Allowing easy access to web and desktop development software that is user-friendly, standardised and works across platforms is one of the most important founding principles of the World Wide Web as we know it today. It means that anyone can take a standard framework that is functional and re-form it into anything they want it to be, whether it’s a web-based program or a new desktop program, by adding their own code – unrestricted by the operating system they’re using or the coding language they’re proficient in. That was the idea behind Microsoft’s creation of .NET in the early 2000s, and it has proven extremely successful in that mission so far, with billions of lines of code written by tens of millions of users on Mac, Windows and Linux. The first iteration, .Net Framework is still in operation, having been updated many times in its 20-year history, but the proliferation of new platforms, operating systems and new trends in development meant that a new approach was needed.

The birth of .Net Core

Microsoft’s answer to these issues was .Net Core, a software framework that was designed to be able to cope with all of the many new ways of working that had sprung to life over the last decade, but that would also be future-proof enough to stand up to whatever would come next. .Net Core was designed from the ground up with cross-platform development in mind, removing the barriers that had held back previous versions when it came to working with the great proliferation of new operating systems and architectures that have sprung up. This allows it to run the same across a number of operating systems and architectures, including x64, x86, and ARM.

The advantages of using .Net Core

One of the biggest reasons why we’re so keen on .Net Core, and why it’s supported on our Windows web hosting packages, is its versatility – and the fact that it’s at the cutting edge of what Microsoft is doing with software framework at the moment. It’s open-source, so it’s perfect for working with a variety of different systems whether they’re off the shelf from a major developer or homemade for your specific needs. It’ll also work just as well with Windows as any other major or minor operating system, so it’s not a problem if your business uses several different operating systems to do its job – or if it relies on one of the more exotic operating systems because it’s highly specialised. It’s been specifically designed to have a variety of applications plugged in and out of it using systems like Docker, so you don’t need to worry if you suddenly need to add something new – it can handle it. You also don’t have to worry too much about compatibility with third-party programmes like editors that make the job of coding on your site easier, such as de-buggers, as it’s specifically designed to work with just about anything.

There’s nothing worse than realising your ambition to expand the range of services that your company offers, only to run up against a brick wall like your site being unable to handle the extra work you’re asking of it. Performance and scale-ability were major considerations when Microsoft developed .Net Core, and it means that it’s an extremely flexible way of working. Not only is it ranked as one of the top-performing web frameworks, it also works well when running multiple apps and multiple versions alongside each other without any noticeable decline in performance – so if you’re looking to grow the number and variety of this your website does, you’ll have no problem with the framework behind your site.