.Net8 New features | Difference between .Net7 and .Net8

 As per Microsoft team .NET8 going to be released in November 2023.

👉 Performance Improvements in .NET 8

.NET 7 and .NET 8 are both versions related to the .NET platform and there are a couple of key differences between them.

Support

.NET 7 is the standard-term support (STS) release, which means it will be supported for 18 months.

.NET 8 is the long-term support (LTS) release, which means it will be supported for three years. This makes .NET 8 a better choice for developers who need long-term stability and support for their applications.

Performance

.NET 8 builds on the performance enhancements introduced in .NET 7 by further optimizing the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler, garbage collector, and runtime. The result is faster startup times, better overall application performance, and reduced memory usage.

New features

.NET 8 includes a number of new features and enhancements, such as:

• Support for SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) operations on 512-bit vectors. This can significantly improve the performance of applications that perform data-intensive operations, such as machine learning and scientific computing.
• Support for the Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (AVX-512) instructions. AVX-512 is a new set of vector instructions that provides additional performance benefits for data-intensive applications.
• Enhanced diagnostics capabilities, including new tools and features for debugging and troubleshooting performance problems.
• Expanded cross-platform support, including improvements to the Mono runtime and new features for building and deploying .NET applications on macOS and Linux.
• Advanced language features, such as support for global using directives and record structs.

Here is a feature difference between .NET 7 and .NET 8 with a programming example:

Feature	.NET 7	.NET 8
Support	Standard-term support (STS)	Long-term support (LTS)
Performance	JIT compiler, garbage collector, and runtime optimizations	Additional JIT compiler, garbage collector, and runtime optimizations; support for SIMD operations on 512-bit vectors and Intel AVX-512 instructions
New features	Raw string literals, generic math interfaces, and support for nullable annotations in Microsoft.Extensions.* libraries, new Tar APIs	Support for global using directives, record structs, SIMD operations on 512-bit vectors and Intel AVX-512 instructions, enhanced diagnostics capabilities, expanded cross-platform support

Programming example

The following code shows a simple example of using the new SIMD support in .NET 8:

using System;

using System.Numerics;

public class Program

{

    public static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        // Create a new Vector<float> object.

        Vector<float> values = new Vector<float>(1f, 2f, 3f, 4f);

        // Add the elements of the vector together.

        float sum = Vector.Sum(values);

        // Display the result.

        Console.WriteLine($"The sum of given vector elements is {sum}.");

    }

}

This code will compile and run on .NET 8, but it will not compile on .NET 7.

Support for global using directives in .NET 8

The global directive can be used to import any namespace, including the using System.Numerics namespace in this example. This means that you can use the Vector type without having to qualify it with the namespace name.

Global using directives can be placed at the top of any source file, but they are typically placed in a single file, such as a GlobalUsings.cs file. This makes it easy to manage your global using directives and keep them consistent across your project.

Global using directives can be a useful way to reduce the amount of boilerplate code in your source files. They can also make your code more concise and readable.

// Create a new global using directive.

global using System.Numerics;

public class Program

{

    public static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        // Create a new Vector<float> object.

        Vector<float> values = new Vector<float>(1f, 2f, 3f, 4f);

        // Add the elements of the vector together.

        float sum = Vector.Sum(values);

        // Display the result.

        Console.WriteLine($"The sum of given vector elements is {sum}.");

    }

}

Record structs in .NET 8:

Record structs are a new type of struct in .NET 8 that are designed to be immutable and lightweight. They are similar to classes, but they have a number of advantages, including:

• Record structs are immutable by default, which means that their fields cannot be changed once they are initialized. This makes them ideal for use in scenarios where data needs to be shared and protected from modification.
• Record structs are lightweight and efficient because they do not have any overhead associated with inheritance or polymorphism.
• Record structs provide a number of syntactic benefits, such as concise syntax for creating instances and accessing fields.

To create a record struct, you use the record keyword followed by the name of the struct and a list of its fields. Each field must have a type and a name.

Record structs can be used in any scenario where you would use a regular struct or class. However, they are particularly well-suited for use in scenarios where data needs to be shared and protected from modification, or where performance is important.

Here are some examples of how record structs can be used:

• To represent data that is read from a database or other external source.
• To represent immutable values, such as points in space or colors.
• To represent data that is passed between different parts of a program.
• To implement data structures, such as linked lists and hash tables.

Record structs are a powerful new feature in .NET 8 that can be used to write cleaner, more efficient, and more robust code.

public record Person(string Name, int Age);

public class Program

{

    public static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        // Create a new Person record.

        Person p = new Person("Alice", 25);

        //Print name and age of the person.

        Console.WriteLine($"{p.Name} is {p.Age} years old.");

    }

}

Enhanced diagnostics capabilities in.Net8

The enhanced diagnostics capabilities in .NET 8 include a number of new features and improvements, such as:

• Improved support for ActivityScope. ActivityScope is a new class in .NET 8 that makes it easier to track the execution of activities. This can be useful for debugging and troubleshooting performance problems.
• New Activity tags. Activity tags are a way to store additional information about an activity. .NET 8 includes a number of new Activity tags, such as "error" and "duration." These tags can be used to provide more context when debugging and troubleshooting problems.
• Enhanced ActivityContext. The ActivityContext class in .NET 8 has been enhanced to provide more information about the current activity. This information can be used to debug and troubleshoot problems and to make more informed decisions about how to handle errors.

The example code above shows how to use the new ActivityScope class and Activity tags to track the execution of an activity. The example also shows how to get the ActivityContext for the current thread and display its contents.

You can use the enhanced diagnostics capabilities in .NET 8 to improve the debugging and troubleshooting of your applications. This can lead to faster and more efficient development cycles.

using System;

using System.Diagnostics;

public class Program

{

    public static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        // Start a new ActivityScope.

        using (ActivityScope scope = new ActivityScope("My Activity"))

        {

            // Perform some work.

            try

            {

                // Do something that might fail.

            }

            catch (Exception ex)

            {

                // Log the exception.

                Activity.Current?.AddTag("error", ex.ToString());

            }

        }

        // Get the ActivityContext for the current thread.

        ActivityContext context = Activity.Current?.Context;

        // Display the ActivityContext.

        Console.WriteLine(context.ToString());

    }

}

Expanded cross-platform support in .net 8

The expanded cross-platform support in .NET 8 includes a number of new features and improvements, such as:

• Support for ARM64 architecture. .NET 8 now supports the ARM64 architecture, which is used in a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This means that you can now build and deploy .NET applications to a wider range of devices.
• Improved support for macOS and Linux. .NET 8 includes a number of improvements to the Mono runtime, which is used to run .NET applications on macOS and Linux. These improvements include better performance and compatibility.
• New tools for building and deploying cross-platform applications. .NET 8 includes a number of new tools for building and deploying cross-platform applications, such as the .NET CLI and the .NET Build Tools. These tools make it easier to build and deploy .NET applications to a variety of platforms.

The example code above shows how to use the new HttpClient class to make a web request. The HttpClient class is a cross-platform class that can be used to make web requests from Windows, macOS, and Linux.

You can use the expanded cross-platform support in .NET 8 to build and deploy your applications to a wider range of devices and platforms. This can help you to reach a wider audience and grow your business.

using System;

using System.Threading.Tasks;

public class Program

{

    public static async Task Main(string[] args)

    {

        // Create a new HttpClient object.

        HttpClient client = new HttpClient();

        // Get the contents of a web page.

        HttpResponseMessage response = await client.GetAsync("https://www.microsoft.com");

        // print the contents of the web page.

        Console.WriteLine(await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());

    }

}

Conclusion

.NET 8 is a significant release of the .NET platform that offers a number of new features and enhancements, as well as performance improvements and long-term support. Developers who are looking for a stable and supported platform for their applications should consider using .NET 8.

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