Newwave Solutions’ Ultimate Guide to .NET Software Development and its Benefits

Let’s discover the basics of the .NET software development environment and its multiple advantages that enhance system productivity, and reduce errors at affordable costs. 

Among a variety of technologies and environments available in the market, .NET still makes its mark after decades of serving the community. In comparison to ecosystems like Java or PHP, as well as the more modern Python, .NET still proved itself as a worthy adversary chosen by many popular brands to develop their tech products. Let’s take a closer look at .NET Software Development Environment and Framework with Newwave Solutions.

1. What is .NET Software Development?

.NET is an open-source framework and ecosystem designed and run by Microsoft. It allows easy development and management of desktop and web apps running Windows, Linus, or macOS. The .NET ecosystem offers an array of services and features, namely server-side implementation, desktop interfaces, mobile and web interfaces, and cloud services. Developers prefer .NET as their development platform because .NET is one of the few all-in-one options that allows the building of robust and secure software products. 

The .NET Framework is a set of unified technologies that provides a platform for the development of a variety of software solutions. Thanks to diverse libraries. Since the initial start of development in late 1999, the first version of the .NET Framework was not released until 2002. Over the last 20 years, major changes, new features, and functionality have been brought to the latest iteration which enhances the scalability, stability, and functionality of the system. 

2. The Popularity of .NET Software Development and Framework 

The .NET Framework has always been a popular choice of developers as it supports the latest cross-platform operating systems, including Windows 10 and 11. This support is critical these days as users use a wide variety of devices and platforms, from mobile phones to laptops and desktops, and even wearables. The .NET framework is still the most popular development framework across the globe. According to a survey of Statista in 2021, 34.2 percent of developers used .NET Framework.

3. Software Development in .NET

The .NET technologies and framework allow the development of almost any kind of custom software solutions, from standalone apps to complete networked, cloud solutions, Web apps, mobile and desktop apps, Internet-of-things solutions, Games & Simulations, etc.

There are many underlying reasons for the popularity of the .NET framework in developing software products for various businesses through the years. One of the biggest reasons is the massive infrastructure and support network of .NET, provided by Microsoft. Another reason is .NET allows speedy and easy integration of third-party features and services within the .NET environment, as well as many services too. Besides, it is simple to deploy software solutions, easy to implement cross-platform, autonomous management of available system resources, and easy to debug projects with multiple technologies, programming languages, and standardized models. 

4. Must-have .NET Software Development Tool Kits

Developing a .NET solution can be challenging without knowing the right .NET software development tool kits. While every developer has their own preferences, there are a few tools that the majority of developers agree are must-haves to make life easier.

4.1. Visual Studio 

Visual Studio is considered the most advanced .NET software development tool kit for developers. It is a Microsoft-integrated development environment (IDE) for developing consoles, graphic user interfaces (GUIs), web apps, etc. Developers often use Visual Studio code to perform software testing and scripts running before integrating them with bigger projects. Rider by JetBrains tool that comes with ReSharper built-in has made Visual Studio a much better IDE with over 2000 on-the-fly code inspections for popular programming languages such as C#, JavaScript, TypeScript…

4.2. GitHub 

GitHub is a code hosting platform that allows developers to work on projects remotely. Developers can work with unlimited public and private repositories with a full feature set. GitHub features an intuitive GUI, distributed version control, and source code management, combined with access control, bug tracking, task management, continuous integration, and a great UI that enhances the experience with its visualizations and graphics. Although GitHub is not the ideal tool for new developers to start programming due to complex syntax and commands. 

4.3. Chocolatey

Chocolatey is software management automation, consisting of installers, executables, zips, and scripts in a single package which is a great tool allowing developers to install a variety of Windows tools with a simple command line. Developers can use chocolatey to create and install scripts, and everything else onto a fresh machine. Chocolatey is a developer-centric package that adds, updates, and uninstalls programs in the background with litter user interaction. This tool kit is ideal for IoT, and desktop applications. 

4.4. LINQPad

LINQPad is a software utility designed for .NET framework and development with interactive query SQL databases using LINQ-compatible code. This tool is particularly beneficial for C# developers to try a contentious piece of code before implementing it within a larger project. It can also be used to script in VB.NET, as well as F# language. 

4.5. Fiddler

Fiddler is one of the more popular software testing tools for communication glitches between different modules and services used within a software development project. Fiddler was developed by Telerik, acting as a proxy between two services, intercepting all communications. Fiddler helps identify issues and debugs during the development process which reduces the time taken to address and resolve problems in projects.

5. Conclusion

Given all the information above about the .NET environment and framework, it is needless to say that .NET is a great technology for those looking to develop robust, scalable, and feature-rich software. With .NET, developers can ensure your software is developed on a professionally proven platform, which will optimize the internal processes and workflows of your business. 

If you are looking for a trusted partner to help with your .NET project, Newwave Solutions is the right choice. Our team of experts can guarantee the application of the latest .NET framework that meets the objectives of your project. Contact us to get started!