Migrating .NET Framework Libraries - (Migrating to .NET Standard)

.NET Standard is a set of APIs used for creating applications that can run on any platform that supports .NET. Migrating existing .NET Framework libraries to .NET Standard can improve their portability and make them easier to use with different platforms. In this tutorial, we'll go over the process of migrating .NET Framework libraries to .NET Standard.

Syntax

The process of migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard involves updating the library's project file to target .NET Standard and updating any code that uses APIs that are not available in .NET Standard.

Example

To illustrate the process of migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard, let's consider a sample library named MyLibrary that targets .NET Framework 4.5.2. Here's what the library's project file looks like:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFrameworks>net452</TargetFrameworks>
    <AssemblyName>MyLibrary</AssemblyName>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Class1.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

To migrate this library to .NET Standard, we need to update its project file to target .NET Standard instead of .NET Framework. Here's the updated project file:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFrameworks>netstandard2.0</TargetFrameworks>
    <AssemblyName>MyLibrary</AssemblyName>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Class1.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

This updates the library to target .NET Standard 2.0 instead of .NET Framework 4.5.2. After updating the project file, we need to update the code to use APIs that are available in .NET Standard.

Explanation

Migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard involves updating the library's project file to target .NET Standard and updating any code that uses APIs that are not available in .NET Standard. The process is relatively simple, and most .NET Framework libraries can be migrated to .NET Standard with minimal changes.

Use

Migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard can improve its portability and make it easier to use with different platforms. By targeting .NET Standard, the library can be used with any platform that supports .NET, including .NET Core, Xamarin, and Unity.

Important Points

Here are some important points to keep in mind when migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard:

• Not all .NET Framework APIs are available in .NET Standard, so you may need to update your code to use APIs that are available in .NET Standard.
• Migrating to .NET Standard may require updating any libraries that the project depends on to target .NET Standard as well.
• Some .NET Framework libraries may not be able to be migrated to .NET Standard due to compatibility issues.

Summary

In this tutorial, we discussed the process of migrating a .NET Framework library to .NET Standard. We covered the syntax, example, explanation, use, and important points of migrating to .NET Standard. By following these steps, you can migrate your .NET Framework libraries to .NET Standard and improve their portability and ease of use with different platforms.