In 2002, Microsoft released the .NET framework, as an open-source developer platform. It’s still used in some industries, for sure, even though the young developers consider it an outdated technology. But, no one can ever become a good software engineer if they don’t know the basics of .NET, to build apps for mobile and desktop, for any purpose. The last releasement of .NET framework 4.8 was in April 2019, with a few bug fixes after that. But, there are no bigger plans for it in the near future.
The technologies are growing every day, so it’s normal for something that was used a lot, to become outdated in just a few weeks.
Such technologies are still the basics of knowledge, especially when it comes to programming languages. Every graduated developer has started from the “old” languages, so they can learn the basics, and build their knowledge. We can say that .NET is still surviving the struggle to fight against modern technologies, but it gives a basic knowledge for the app development, so it’s literally more than needed for every software engineer. You can get more info on why it’s important to know .NET, and why these engineers are still in high demand. You only have to stay with us and see what this article brings to you.
We all know that if you stick to .NET, you are stuck to the Microsoft environment, and it’s not really optimal and sustainable, having all these devices available on the market. The IoT is still rising, so sticking to one development tool is not a great idea. It can be really expensive, and time-consuming, and all the products will be very expensive. But, as we said, .NET can be a great option for those who want to learn software development and have a great starting point for their career options. The fact that it’s an open-source development environment is what makes this platform still relevant, even though it can’t really cover all the demands of the modern market.
But, is it really outdated? We can say it’s not, because of these things:
1. Flexibility in the development phase
When working on an open-source platform, you have an access to libraries and many other tools that can be useful for you. Maybe .NET is not something you will use for iOS development, but you can still get an idea of what you need to do. At least, you will have a piece of exceptional basic knowledge, and you will recognize the most common challenges. And we can say that you will overcome all the challenges if you learn this language properly.
2. .NET developers can be a nice boost to your team
There is no universal skill that makes a developer a good one. They need to be educated and understand things. Many businesses still hire .NET developers, no matter what their product is, so they can enhance the overall performance. Also, these people can translate the old ASP.NET into understandable language, and that’s why there will always be an open position for these developers in the IT companies.
3. Understand the purpose
This platform was developed to be a part of Microsoft when we all thought it would be the only operating system we will use forever. It’s still used for web and desktop app development, but also for games and websites.
4. Versions based on .NET
Microsoft still releases development platforms that are using the basics of .NET. That’s why we have.Net5, Azure, and Blazor.
5. Benefits of .NET framework
If you use it properly, you can increase the productivity and reliability of the things you are doing every day. Keep in mind that almost every modern development platform is using the principles of .NET, so you surely have a benefit if you learn it. And when you know something, you know it for life. That’s why it’s important to at least know something about .NET when approaching your career as a software developer.
What do the people think?
Many people think that .NET is outdated, or even dead, because there won’t be any update soon, or maybe never. Still, there are alternatives, and everyone can choose what they are comfortable with. Others still think it’s the best Microsoft product so far.
Most of them hope that Microsoft will replace .NET with something that is pretty functional but more optimized for work. Surely, it will be adapted to the way the current technologies work. Also, they think that.Net5 will take over the course, and fill the current gap.
Modern technologies require modern solutions, and today it’s so easy to learn something new and use it every day. Maybe Microsoft has a bigger plan for this product, or they want to replace it with something revolutionary.
The final verdict
As we know, all the software that runs on .NET will do that in the future, without any bigger issues. Also, there are extensions you can use for cross-development. It’s a little bit outdated, but it will be relevant as long as software development exists as a profession.
Even though, many developers decide to move to other frameworks, so they can optimize the whole process, and save on time and resources.
But, it’s still worth learning, because it gives a great base for the new software developers or the engineering students. It is, and it would be relevant, even when it “dies”, and something else replaces it.
Do you know why? Because no matter what comes up next, it would use the same basic knowledge as .NET – so even if it’s outdated, it’s not “dead”.
Conclusion
So, can we say that .NET is outdated? It’s 50:50 because there are no updates and new things to come up, but it’s still useful for every developer there. If you are considering a career in software development, probably you will have to meet .NET at some point. Don’t skip on it, because there are so many useful things that you can learn by using it.
