Is .NET Really Dead? What Is The Best Alternative?
.NET is one of the most popular frameworks for building powerful desktop and web applications. But it hasn’t received any new update since 2019. Is the framework REALLY dead? Should you look for alternative solutions for developing applications in 2021? In this post, you will find all the details.
What is .NET framework?
.NET is a full-stack platform for building and running server-side applications on Windows. It is compatible with different languages, including C#, F#, and Visual Basic. You can use it to create desktop, web, mobile, and IoT applications.
Is .NET framework really dead?
Back in 2019, Microsoft announced that the .NET 4.8 would be the last release of .NET framework. Also, the company declared that the successor of .NET Core 3.0 would be known as .NET 5.0. In other words, .NET Core would replace the .NET framework. Eventually, .NET 5.0 was rolled out in November 2020.
With .NET 5.0, Microsoft aims to transform the .NET and .NET Core into a new cross-platform framework. However, there are some drawbacks. The developers have been using ASP.NET Web Forms for years to build dynamic web UIs. It is no longer supported on .NET 5.0. Instead, you will have to use Blazor. Even Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), the traditional communication framework for Windows, is deprecated. So, you will be forced to use alternative solutions, like gRPC or CoreWCF.
Overall, Microsoft is unifying .NET and .NET Core frameworks by making drastic changes. So, you can no longer use the key features like the way you do with the original full-stack platform. In this sense, the .NET framework is dead.
Microsoft’s controversial move on .NET framework had infuriated a large number of developers around the world. They feel that there is a significant gap between release and stability in the products of the software development giant.
One of the Y Combinator users, known as @TheRealDunkirk, vividly described the issue:
My problem with these kinds of Microsoft technology evangelism articles/videos is that it always seems like Microsoft has juuuust gotten their new hotness to work, and is telling the world that it’s awesome, and ready for production. Then you go to implement it, and as soon as you leave the perfect world of their demo, it all falls apart, and THEN you find out the docs were written for the beta version, and no longer apply, so you’re left guessing at the right invocation signature for the method you need.
What is the best alternative to .NET framework?
There are different alternatives to .NET framework, including Node.js, Django and Laravel. However, the best one is Delphi. Unlike .NET framework, it is providing new releases and support for more than 26 years continuously.
Why Delphi is the best alternative to .NET framework?
- Safe Future: Delphi has been evolving since 1995. It is being updated constantly. There is no possibility of seeing it abandoned anytime soon.
- .NET Compatibility: Delphi supports a compiler and a base class for .NET framework. So, you can build native .NET applications with the same class library and IDE.
- High Performance: Delphi is super-fast. Similar to .NET framework, it is well suited for graphics and math-intensive application development.
- GUI Designing Made Easy: Delphi supports a powerful GUI designer, which makes the process of creating amazing interfaces pretty straightforward
- Well Documented: Delphi supports comprehensive documentation. So, you can understand different aspects easily.
Should I use Delphi in 2021?
Right now, Delphi is the best alternative to .NET framework. It boasts powerful features and delivers a great performance. But more importantly, it will continue to receive support in the coming years. So, you should strongly consider Delphi for developing powerful applications in 2021.
