Want to quickly update a configuration file or edit a solution or project file? Then Microsoft Edit is the ultimate choice. It is a lightweight and easy-to-use text editor from the command line. You can do all this without ever having to switch context.
Plans are to add it to Windows OS soon, making it useful in places where third-party software can’t be installed.
For now, the easiest option to install this editor is using winget:
C# – Preprocessor Directives are highly useful for writing code that can be compiled conditionally, depending on factors like the target framework, target platform, or build configuration.
For example:
#if NET9_0_OR_GREATER
// The code within this block will execute only on .NET 9 or higher
#endif
#if ANDROID
// The code within this block will execute only on the Android OS
#endif
#if DEBUG
// The code within this block will execute only in Debug mode
#endif
C# – Ignored Directives have a similar syntax but are ignored by the compiler because they are for tooling.
The real purpose of this feature is to execute a C# source file directly from the CLI. It doesn’t need a project file. Now, even the plain console app requires a project file, despite the much-simplified top-level statements feature.
Introduced in C# 3.0, extension methods are a valuable feature for external types, especially when those types are sealed, such as string.
Roughly two decades later, C# has now finally unveiled support for extending everything.
With the release of .NET 10 Preview 3 (C# 14), it is now possible to define static methods, instance properties, and static properties too. Support for other members will be incorporated in future releases.
Syntactically, an extension method should be defined within a top-level static class. The type of its first mandatory parameter, the one qualified with the this keyword, determines the type being extended. Henceforth, this will be referred to as the receiver type.
All standard query operators of LINQ are defined as extension methods. They are defined in the Enumerable static class within the BCL (in the System.Linq namespace).
For example, the Where extension method applies to all types that implement IEnumerable<T>. Validations and optimizations aside, the typical implementation is as outlined below.
Yesterday marked the release of v11.2 of the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit, which is based on .NET MAUI 9 SR5 (v9.0.50).
Though it serves as the extended arm of .NET MAUI app development, newcomers will discover this officially supported toolkit to be of immense value.
It provides a thorough array of essential components, including Alerts, Behaviors, Converters, Extensions, Layouts, and Views, which are vital for creating practical, real-world applications.
The Rating control is one of the most used controls while developing feedback pages. Requesting users to rate their quality of service, product reviews, questionnaires, surveys, KPIs, appraisals, feedback forms, user interactions like likes and dislikes, etc. Later, this data can be used to search, suggest, list, and improve products/services.
Last month, the first public preview of .NET 10, an LTS version, was released.
A detailed blog post describing the release overview is here.
Update: .NET 10 Preview 2 is now available and is detailed here. Comes with a lot of exciting new features. Try now.
Like .NET 9, details of preview releases for .NET 10 will also be published in the GitHub discussion, and Preview 1 is here.
And what’s changed in this .NET MAUI 10 Preview 1 is here. Have a look at the tentatively planned features on .NET 10 here and Roadmap here.
This February, join David and Rachel as they discuss the latest advancements in the world of .NET MAUI during the monthly community standup about GitHub Copilot’s role in enhancing productivity.
The Community Standup is a live event hosted by the core framework team on the official .NET YouTube channel. It provides valuable insights and exciting announcements. For .NET MAUI, it usually happens on the first Thursday of each month.
Undoubtedly, AI is disrupting the status quo, and now GitHub Copilot is available free of charge. On the free tier, it offers 2,000 code completions and 50 chats per month. All that is required is a GitHub user account and a sign-up for free. Supported on a multitude of apps including VS Code. For further details, please refer to the article and FAQ.
Remember to join live on Thu, Feb 6 at 18:00 UTC. Click the link to access the timing in your local or preferred time zone. Note, that it’s an hour behind its usual schedule (Daylight Saving).
The community links for this month’s standup will be updated here.
Happy coding. Stay connected as we continue to learn and share the experiences from this exciting journey of being a .NET developer.
First and foremost, wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2025.
This January, join David and Rachel as they commence the year 2025 by discussing the latest advancements in the world of .NET MAUI during the monthly community standup.
The Community Standup is a live event on the official .NET YouTube channel, hosted by the core framework team. It provides valuable insights and exciting announcements. For .NET MAUI, it usually happens on the first Thursday of each month. This time is an exception, occurring on the second Thursday, which is tomorrow (Jan 9).
Yesterday marked the official release of the highly anticipated .NET MAUI Toolkit (CommunityToolkit.Maui) package v10.0, introducing native support for .NET 9.
Though it is the extended arm of .NET MAUI app development, for newcomers, this officially supported toolkit offers a comprehensive collection of essential components—such as Alerts, Behaviors, Converters, Extensions, Layouts, and Views—that are crucial for developing real-world apps.
This new release has some breaking changes, with the most notable being aligning with the design change introduced in .NET MAUI 9, where Behaviors no longer automatically inherit the BindingContext of their parent (a major shift from the original Xamarin.Forms design).
This article represents the second installment of the XAML for Beginners series, which elucidates the concept of declarative markup in the context of defining UI in .NET applications. All articles within this series are accessible from here.
The initial article focused mainly on introducing XAML and its building blocks.
In this article, the focus will be on the following:
Starting a new series entitled XAML for Beginners elucidates the concept of declarative markup to define UI in .NET applications. All articles within this series can be accessed from here.
The second installment of this series is now available to read here.
XAML is an acronym that stands for eXtensible Application Markup Language. It was first introduced in 2006, accompanying the initial release of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) alongside .NET 3.0.
The principal objective of this methodology is to segregate the UI design from the program logic. This separation allows the design team to focus solely on the UI, while the program logic can be developed and evaluated independently. Consequently, these components can be integrated into a unified system.
The MVVM design pattern is an exemplary framework for accomplishing this. However, XAML also supports the code-behind approach.