What is .NET Standard and why we need to consider it?

What is .NET Standard and Why Do We Need to Consider It?

.NET Standard is a formal specification of .NET APIs that are intended to be available across all .NET implementations, such as .NET Framework, .NET Core, and Xamarin. It defines a uniform set of APIs that must be implemented by each .NET platform, ensuring that libraries targeting .NET Standard can be used across different .NET environments without modification.

Key Points about .NET Standard:

1. Specification, Not Implementation:

   • .NET Standard is not a runtime or a framework; it is a specification that outlines which APIs must be available in the Base Class Libraries (BCL) of different .NET implementations[2][4][7].

2. Versioning:

   • .NET Standard is versioned, with each new version adding more APIs. Higher versions of .NET Standard include all APIs from previous versions plus additional ones. This ensures backward compatibility[2][6][12].

3. Compatibility:

   • Libraries targeting a specific version of .NET Standard can run on any .NET implementation that supports that version or higher. This makes it easier to share code across different platforms[2][6][12].

4. Code Sharing:

   • The primary purpose of .NET Standard is to facilitate code sharing between different .NET implementations. By targeting .NET Standard, developers can create libraries that work seamlessly across multiple platforms, such as Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android[2][4][6].

Why We Need to Consider .NET Standard:

1. Cross-Platform Development:

   • As software development increasingly moves towards cross-platform solutions, .NET Standard provides a way to ensure that libraries can be used across different operating systems and devices without needing separate versions for each platform[1][4][5].

2. Simplified Library Management:

   • Before .NET Standard, developers had to create multiple versions of their libraries to support different .NET implementations, leading to increased complexity and maintenance overhead. .NET Standard simplifies this by providing a single target for libraries[1][4][7].

3. Future-Proofing:

   • Although .NET 5 and later versions aim to unify the .NET ecosystem, .NET Standard remains relevant for ensuring compatibility with older .NET implementations like .NET Framework and .NET C...