Is . NET Core stable enough for production?

Question

The . NET Core is already stable and reliable to the point of being used in production environments for commercial websites?

Answer 1

The . NET Core becomes the only option in 2020 and will be called . NET 5. So the question no longer makes much sense and is here for historical questions.

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Yes, you could say that. But with some care.

First we would need to define what it is to be "stable for production".

When Microsoft released version 1.0 of it rated it stable for production. So objectively and officially we can say yes, it’s ready to be used in commercial applications.

In fact many people are already using in these conditions.

Some people complain about some things. Including the lack of some components. Some will never be implemented because it makes no sense in the . NET Core (but even this has changed a little), others we need to wait a little, or get some alternative, as many people have done.

For example, the Entity Framework Core will be much better when it is complete, but now several things are missing. Some will not because it was never suitable in the previous versions, such as the model first.

It works differently than the . NET Framework, so for those who are used to it, it can be a little difficult to adapt. Some things may not work because one does not know the new way. Other things may not be working at all. But nothing critical that you can’t use. Sure, it can take a little more work to be a pioneer (Early Adopter). But there is no bugs compromising absurdities. (Well, this is already a little outdated, worth more when I wrote originally).

Perhaps it lacks a bit of tool. There are already many famous libraries ported to it, but not everything. But less and less missing.

We already have updates that have improved some things. When The 2.0 came out, already much more stable and much more complete has come closer to the level that everyone wants. Visual Studio 2017 already comes with improved support for it, and there will be updates over time. The new is already way to go until the support that the framework has traditional.

If you’re going to bring something old to . NET Core, I’m not sure that’s the best idea right now. And depending on what you use, it won’t even be interesting at some point. Something needs so much adaptation that it only pays to do it from scratch, which many will say is crazy (it actually depends on the quality of the old, the size, and other less technical issues).

In the background only you can answer if you are good for what you need. You have to start using and see. There are people with experience who tried to use, found some obstacle and gave up for now, have who managed to manage well, even without understanding much of it. So the experience of each is unique, and depends on the commitment put and need that the person has.

Many people find PHP 7 stable. For me it does not happen, I would have more difficulty porting my PHP applications to 7 than making a new application for . NET Core. But I can’t say that people who think he’s stable are crazy, ignorant, or something like that, it’s up to each.

Recently I was at Microsoft MVP Communuty Connection and had a lot of MVP already using in production successfully.

When 2.1 is out practically completed what was expected of 2.0 and is already well complete in its core (without pun) and what is missing comes in the next 2.2. Of course the ASP.NET is still a little more, but a little, the EF is a little late and has a different intention, but it already has a lot of interesting new thing that the classic EF does not have.

In 2019 3.0 that I think completes the cycle and even meets almost every need that the . NET Framework met, including the Windows specific ones through the compatibility kits (will not be part of the basic distribution, but it is super easy to insert into the application). What does not enter is because it is not to use even. And look that even Windows Forms will be supported. You can even use EF 6 for those who need something exclusive of it that you cannot give up.

My vision, without any privileged information for being Microsoft MVP, is that the . NET Framework will become secondary and will receive less update by political decision, but also technical, which I think is not the case in this question. Not only will all investment be in Core, but the community is collaborating a lot on it, there is no way to do this in Framework for reasons that are also not the case here.

So I tried to answer objectively and not try to fall into opinions, because each one has its own.