The .NET development team at Microsoft has announced the release of .NET 8 Preview 1, the next major release of the .NET development platform. This release brings several new features and improvements, including support for ARM64, nullable reference types, and performance improvements.

ARM64 support

With .NET 8, Microsoft is introducing support for the ARM64 architecture, allowing developers to target ARM64-based devices with their applications. This includes support for ARM64 on Windows, Linux, and macOS, which will enable developers to write cross-platform applications that can run on a variety of devices, including Raspberry Pi and other embedded systems.

Nullable reference types

Nullable reference types is a new feature that was introduced in C# 8.0, and it is now being integrated into .NET 8. With nullable reference types, developers can now express their intent more clearly and avoid null reference exceptions. This feature will help improve code quality and make it easier to maintain and debug applications.

Performance improvements

.NET 8 also brings several performance improvements to the platform, including faster startup times and reduced memory usage. This will benefit developers who need to build large-scale applications, where performance is critical.

Other improvements

In addition to these major features, .NET 8 Preview 1 also includes several other improvements and enhancements, such as:

• Improvements to the garbage collector, which will help reduce memory usage and improve performance
• Support for HTTP/2 in the HttpClient API, which will improve the performance of web applications
• Support for single-file executables, which will make it easier to distribute and deploy .NET applications

Getting started with .NET 8 Preview 1

Developers who want to try out .NET 8 Preview 1 can download it from the official .NET website (download it here). The release includes the .NET runtime, libraries, and SDKs for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Microsoft is encouraging developers to try out .NET 8 Preview 1 and provide feedback to help improve the platform. They are also planning to release additional previews leading up to the final release of .NET 8, which is expected to be released later this year.

Conclusion

.NET 8 Preview 1 brings several new features and improvements to the .NET development platform, including support for ARM64, nullable reference types, and performance improvements. This release will enable developers to write cross-platform applications that can run on a variety of devices, while also improving code quality and making it easier to maintain and debug applications. With additional previews planned leading up to the final release, developers have the opportunity to provide feedback and help shape the future of the .NET platform.

Source: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/announcing-dotnet-8-preview-1/