.NET Core is a free, open-source, cross-platform framework developed by Microsoft for building modern, high-performance applications. It is a reimplementation of the .NET Framework designed to be more lightweight, modular, and flexible, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including web, desktop, mobile, cloud, gaming, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Key Features of .NET Core:
Cross-Platform: .NET Core can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing developers to build applications that work across different operating systems[1][2][4][10].
Open Source: The framework is open-source, which means its source code is available for anyone to view, modify, and contribute to. This fosters a collaborative development environment and rapid innovation[1][3][4][10].
High Performance: .NET Core is optimized for performance, offering faster startup times and lower memory usage compared to the .NET Framework. It is suitable for high-performance computing tasks and scalable systems[3][4][10].
Modular Architecture: .NET Core uses a modular architecture, allowing developers to include only the necessary components for their applications. This results in more efficient use of resources and easier management of dependencies[1][3][10].
Unified Development Model: It supports a unified development model for building web applications, APIs, and services using ASP.NET Core, which combines the functionalities of ASP.NET MVC and Web API into a single framework[13][18][19].
Compatibility with .NET Standard: .NET Core is compatible with .NET Standard, which allows code sharing across different .NET implementations, including .NET Framework, Xamarin, and Mono[2][10].
Support for Modern Development Practices: It includes built-in support for dependency injection, asynchronous programming, and integration with popular client-side frameworks and libraries like React, Angular, and Vue[13][18].
Cloud-Ready: .NET Core is designed with cloud applications in mind, providing features that make it easier to deploy and manage applications in cloud environments[1][3][10].
