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What are the practical differences between .NET Framework, .NET Core, and modern (unified) .NET? Why did Microsoft skip version 4 and name the unified platform '.NET 5' instead of '.NET Core 4'? What is .NET Standard, and why is it less relevant now compared to a few years ago? How does performance typically compare between .NET Framework and modern .NET (e.g., .NET 8)? How does cross-platform support differ between .NET Framework and modern .NET? How does packages.config differ from PackageReference, and which is used in Framework versus modern .NET projects? Can .NET Framework and modern .NET applications be run side by side on the same machine, and how does that work? How does language version support differ between .NET Framework and modern .NET, specifically regarding C# language features? What major APIs or features exist in .NET Framework but are unavailable or different in modern .NET? What tools does Microsoft provide to help analyze and migrate a .NET Framework project to modern .NET?
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Why is .NET Framework considered to be in 'maintenance mode', and what does that mean practically for teams still using it?

Intermediate

Answer

.NET Framework 4.8 (released 2019) is the final version -- Microsoft has committed to supporting it for the lifetime of Windows itself (it ships as a Windows component) with security and reliability fixes, but it will never receive new language features, performance improvements, or new APIs, all of which are exclusively going into modern .NET going forward. Teams on .NET Framework should expect long-term stability but no forward feature investment.
// .NET Framework 4.8: final version, security-fix-only going forward
// vs .NET 8, 9, 10...: annual releases with new features, perf work, LTS every other year
Real-world example A team maintaining a stable internal Framework 4.8 line-of-business application decides not to migrate immediately since it's low-risk and stable, but plans a migration roadmap anyway to eventually access modern language features like pattern matching improvements.

Common follow-ups: How does Windows's own lifecycle affect Framework's support timeline?;What's the risk of staying on Framework long-term for a growing application?

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All 16 .NET vs .NET Framework questions