What’s New in .NET 9? Features & Improvements

The .NET team has exciting news for developers with the release of .NET 9. This new version introduces performance improvements and new features, sparking discussions across the community. Dive into this blog to discover everything .NET 9 has to offer.

.NET developers have another reason to celebrate! In October 2024, the team released .NET 9 RC2, the latest version of the platform. But what makes this release special, and how does it benefit developers? We’ll answer these questions and more in this blog.

We’ll explore the key updates in .NET 9, covering changes to the SDK, libraries, runtime, and more. This release brings plenty of improvement, features, and updates to improve your development experience.

Let’s explore what’s new in .NET 9!

A Quick Overview of .NET 9

.NET is a popular open-source platform used to create a variety of applications. Developers use it to build high-performance, secure, scalable, and cross-platform apps for desktops, mobile devices, the web, and the cloud.

Microsoft has regularly updated .NET to make it easier for developers and to add new features for building strong applications. Since its first release, the platform has improved a lot.

.NET 9 is the latest version, bringing new features and updates. Microsoft released seven previews of .NET 9 before launching two release candidates (RCs). The most recent release is .NET 9 RC2.

What’s New in Updates and Features in .NET 9?

.NET 9 brings several exciting improvements, such as a new attribute model for feature switches, default support for DATAS, experimental SVE support for ARM64 processors, and more. These updates will improve the developer experience and help create stronger applications. Let’s explore the key updates and features.

Native AOT (Ahead-of-Time Compilation)

Native AOT speeds up apps by compiling them ahead of time instead of during runtime. It helps your apps start faster and use less memory. This works great for cloud and large-scale apps where performance is crucial.

New Language Features

.NET 9 brings exciting updates to C# and F#. It improves pattern matching and records, helping you write cleaner and more efficient code with less effort.

Improved Developer Tools

Microsoft has improved Visual Studio developer tools for .NET 9. The new features include better debugging options, seamless cloud platform integration, and advanced profiling tools, making it easier to troubleshoot and optimize your code.

AI Integration

.NET 9 simplifies AI and machine learning projects. It works seamlessly with ML.NET and TensorFlow and connects easily to Azure Cognitive Services. You can quickly add AI features like voice recognition or image analysis without much effort.

Stronger Cloud-Native Support

.NET 9 makes working with Kubernetes and Docker easier for cloud developers. It offers better tools to manage microservices and boosts performance for handling large volumes of data requests in web apps.

Improved Cross-Platform Development

.NET 9 makes it easier to build apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows using a single codebase with .NET Multi-Platform App UI. It also includes features like Hot Reload, letting you instantly see changes in your app and simplifying the software development process.

Minimal API Improvements

Minimal APIs in ASP.NET Core are now improved to work better in high-traffic situations. Additionally, the latest updates to WebSocket make app communication faster and more reliable.

Security Boosts

.NET 9 has increased security features to protect your data. One notable improvement is that HttpClientFactory no longer logs sensitive header values by default. This change helps ensure that your private information, such as authentication tokens or API keys, remains secure and is not accidentally exposed in logs.

ASP.NET Core Updates

If you’re building web apps, .NET 9 makes things easier with upgrades like improved distributed tracing in SignalR. It also introduces new tools to simplify HTTPS development on Linux and ensures smooth integration with web defaults for a better experience right from the start.

Conclusion

.NET 9 is ready to make a real difference. It offers faster apps with Native AOT, better AI integration, and improved tools for cloud and cross-platform development, all designed to help .NET developers work more efficiently. Whether you’re building small projects or large enterprise applications, .NET 9 has updates that can boost your productivity.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your software, Zealous System’s .NET development services can help you create custom software. We tackle challenges like outdated .NET frameworks, libraries, and legacy authentication systems, all while ensuring no disruptions for your users. Ready to future-proof your apps? Contact us today.