Introducing the .NET 8 Preview 6: A Spectrum of Exciting Features Including .NET MAUI

In a significant stride for .NET, Microsoft has unveiled the sixth preview of .NET 8. Among the myriad advancements and improvements characterizing this preview, one of the most exciting inclusions is the integration of .NET MAUI into Visual Studio Code via an innovative extension.

The news of the launch was proclaimed in a blog post by Maddy Montaquila, a senior program manager for .NET MAUI at Microsoft. She wrote, The first glimpse of the .NET MAUI extension is out. Coupled with the C# Dev Kit, this extension equips you with the necessary toolkit for developing your cross-platform .NET mobile and desktop applications using Visual Studio Code on Windows, macOS, or Linux.

The .NET 8 preview 6 arrives loaded with features, including an exciting new WASM mode, source generator enhancements, and performance improvements. Additionally, NativeAOT support is now available for iOS, thus elevating .NET 8's inclusivity level.

The fresh WASM mode is essentially a Hybrid globalization mode that presents a scaled-down ICU package while making the most of the Web API. The mode is particularly efficient for applications that require localization data from multiple sources.

Several noteworthy advancements have been incorporated into the System.Text.Json source generator. Better caching, code formatting, and new diagnostic warnings are a few to mention. Likewise, the configuration binding source generator has been fine-tuned for increased efficiency.

Among other new utilities, an options validation source generator was introduced too. This improved implementation of validation logic and reduced startup overhead. Plus, a new COM interface-friendly source generator was also unveiled.

This release also rolls out several updates to ASP.NET Core. An enhanced debugging experience, new metrics, and complex form binding now accommodated in minimal APIs are the key new additions.

Moreover, Blazor gets an upgrade with form model binding and validation with server-side rendering, more efficient page navigation, streaming rendering for preserving existing DOM elements, and much more.

Capping off the announcement, Justin Yoo, a senior cloud advocate for .NET at Microsoft, glorified the collaboration and endeavours of the .NET team in developing these enhancements. He stated, We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to .NET 8 so far. Whether through code contributions, bug reports, or useful feedback, your efforts have made this possible.

While the advancements in the realm of .NET are certainly commendable, they also illustrate how platforms like AppMaster have been pivotal in promoting a no-code, low-code experience for developers. They streamline the creation of robust and highly scalable backend, web, and mobile applications, bringing a new level of convenience and sophistication to the development process.