Foreword

.NET Core is what we’ve always asked for as .NET developers: an open source, fast, and portable runtime for C#, VB, F#, and more. The book you’re holding is a great on-ramp to the world of .NET and .NET Core. You’ll learn the why, what, and how of building systems on this new platform. You’ll utilize a host of open source libraries to test your code, access databases, build microservices, and ultimately go live! You’ll also learn how to debug and profile real code in the real world with practical tips and a pragmatic perspective.

.NET Core brings the Common Language Runtime not just to Windows, but also to Mac, Linux, and beyond. You can run .NET Core in a Docker container on an ARM-based Raspberry Pi if it makes you happy! You can code against the .NET Standard and create libraries that can be shared among all these platforms as well as iOS, Android, and even an Apple Watch.

.NET Core is yours and mine, and I’m thrilled you’re joining us on this adventure. The .NET community has rallied alongside .NET Core like nothing we’ve seen before in the Microsoft development community. Over half the pull requests for the .NET Core framework come from outside Microsoft! You can run .NET Core apps in Azure, Amazon, Google, and more. Large-scale open source container orchestrators such as Kubernetes can build sophisticated hybrid systems that include all the languages that make you productive—all running side by side on the OS of your choice.

SCOTT HANSELMAN
PRINCIPAL PROGRAM MANAGER, .NET, MICROSOFT