Exploring the Exciting Updates in ASP.NET Core for .NET 8

It’s that time again when we dive into the ever-evolving world of web development. Today, I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates and improvements in ASP.NET Core for .NET 8. As I continue my journey in the vast realm of web development, it’s essential to keep a diary of my learnings, and what better way to do that than to share it with all of you!

Blazor Takes Center Stage

One of the highlights of this release is the transformation of Blazor into a full-stack web UI framework. Blazor in .NET 8 seamlessly combines the strengths of Blazor WebAssembly, Blazor Server, and advanced server-side rendering techniques, giving us a robust, component-based framework.

New Capabilities

Blazor in .NET 8 introduces several new capabilities, including static server-side rendering, enhanced navigation and form handling, streaming rendering, and the ability to enable interactivity per component or page using the new @rendermode Razor directive. This enables us to deliver optimized web UI experiences that will undoubtedly delight our users.

QuickGrid: A Data Grid Component

Blazor now ships with QuickGrid, a lightning-fast data grid component designed to handle common data needs. Supporting sorting, filtering, paging, and virtualization, QuickGrid can load strongly-typed data from various sources, including Entity Framework Core. Check out the QuickGrid demo site to witness this component in action.

.NET WebAssembly Gets Faster

Running .NET code on WebAssembly has never been faster! With the introduction of a new Jiterpreter-based runtime, components now render 20% faster, and JSON deserialization is twice as fast. The .NET WebAssembly runtime also supports new edit types with Hot Reload, bringing more flexibility and efficiency to our development workflow.

Introducing WebCIL

Say hello to WebCIL, a web-friendly packaging format for Blazor WebAssembly apps. This streamlined deployment solution removes all Windows-specific bits from your .NET assemblies and repackages them as WebAssembly files, providing a more efficient deployment process.

New Blazor Web App Template

Getting started with all these fantastic features is a breeze with the new Blazor Web App project template. It acts as a one-stop shop for all your web development needs, offering convenient options for authentication type, interactive render mode, interactive location, and the choice to include sample pages.

Blazor Scaffolder Preview

For a quick start with Blazor static server rendering and QuickGrid, the new Blazor scaffolder, available in the latest Visual Studio Preview, is your go-to tool. Easily generate basic Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) pages based on an Entity Framework Core data model.

More Goodies in ASP.NET Core

The ASP.NET Core team didn’t stop there. This release comes packed with enhancements across the board:

• Generic Attributes for MVC: MVC attributes now support generic attributes for a cleaner syntax.
• Identity API Endpoints: API endpoints for interacting with ASP.NET Core Identity, simplifying authentication setup.
• Enhanced Form Binding: Support for an anti-forgery middleware validating tokens across all framework implementations.
• SignalR Stateful Reconnect: Reduce perceived downtime with a stateful reconnect feature.
• Keyed Services Support in Dependency Injection: Introducing support for using keyed services, providing better control and modularity.

Metrics for Monitoring

Keeping an eye on your app’s health is crucial. ASP.NET Core now offers rich runtime metrics using System.Diagnostics.Metrics. These metrics provide a more powerful and integrated way to monitor your applications, aligning with OpenTelemetry standards.

Upgrade and Deploy with Confidence

Upgrading existing projects is a breeze, and .NET 8 is already seamlessly integrated with Azure services, making it easier than ever to build and deploy cloud-native apps. The collaboration between ASP.NET Core and .NET Aspire introduces an integrated approach to cloud-native applications, combining the familiarity of ASP.NET with essential cloud-native components.

Conclusion

As I continue to document my web development journey, exploring these new features and improvements in ASP.NET Core for .NET 8 has been nothing short of exhilarating. From the enhanced capabilities of Blazor to the speedier .NET WebAssembly runtime and the streamlined deployment process with WebCIL, this release sets the stage for more efficient and enjoyable web development experiences.

For a detailed look at all the changes and additions, check out the ASP.NET Core in .NET 8 release notes. Dive in, experiment, and let’s continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in web development together.