Microsoft introduces .NET 9, with performance improvements, new AI integrations and support for multi-platform development. The update includes changes to the runtime and programming languages, such as C# and F#, and offers expanded functionality for cloud- and AI-based applications.
Microsoft is launching .Net 9, after a preview launched early this year. With .NET 9, Microsoft is introducing more than a thousand performance enhancements, including a dynamic tweak to the Server Garbage Collector (GC). This optimization focuses on more efficient memory management, which especially benefits cloud applications with varying memory usage.
Users can still fall back on the classic Server GC implementation for testing. This leads to an increase in throughput and reduced memory usage. Furthermore, the runtime and JIT compiler have been optimized for new hardware and instruction sets, resulting in faster code execution.
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Microsoft launches .NET 9 with AI support and improved performance
Improvements have also been made in the base libraries, such as in System.Text.Json, where methods for JSON processing are now more efficient, saving memory. LINQ methods have been modified for higher speed with empty arrays and lists, with special optimizations for common operations.
AI integration and new tools for developers
.NET 9 responds to the growing demand for AI support with the introduction of Microsoft.Extensions.AI and Microsoft.Extensions.VectorData. These libraries provide developers with standardized interfaces for AI services such as language models and vector stores. Tokenization algorithms have also been improved, with expanded support for popular models such as GPT and BERT, making it easier for .NET developers to integrate AI functionalities.
GitHub Copilot provides additional productivity tools for .NET developers, with features such as AI-driven debugging, enhanced code completion and code troubleshooting assistance. Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.12) has been updated with integration for .NET Aspire, cloud functionality and new analysis tools designed specifically for C# 13.
Multi-platform
With .NET 9, .NET MAUI remains a central option for multi-platform application development, with improved performance and new templates. The MAUI framework supports the latest OS versions and allows developers to use a single code base for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. Also added is a contribution from component developer Syncfusion, with ready-to-use elements for faster app development.
Blazor, the framework for Web and hybrid apps, has undergone improvements in runtime performance and now provides better support for interactive rendering. ASP.NET Core has been updated with optimizations for static files, advanced caching and a new OpenAPI integration that automatically generates documentation for APIs.
.NET 9 and the updated Visual Studio 2022 v17.12 are now available for download.