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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)? Why is .NET Framework considered to be in 'maintenance mode', and what does that mean practically for teams still using it? How does cross-platform support differ between .NET Framework and modern .NET? 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? What is the release cadence and Long-Term Support (LTS) model for modern .NET, and how does it differ from Framework's release history? How does the CLR implementation differ between .NET Framework and modern .NET (CoreCLR)?
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How does packages.config differ from PackageReference, and which is used in Framework versus modern .NET projects?

Intermediate

Answer

packages.config is the older NuGet dependency format used in classic .NET Framework projects, storing package references in a separate XML file and physically copying package assemblies into a packages folder. PackageReference, used by default in modern SDK-style .csproj files (and adoptable in newer Framework projects too), declares dependencies directly inside the project file and uses a global NuGet cache instead of per-project copies, simplifying dependency management and enabling transitive dependency resolution.
<!-- packages.config (legacy) -->
<packages>
  <package id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="13.0.3" targetFramework="net48" />
</packages>

<!-- PackageReference (modern, in .csproj) -->
<ItemGroup>
  <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />
</ItemGroup>
Real-world example A legacy Framework project migrating dependency management converts from packages.config to PackageReference using Visual Studio's built-in migration tool, immediately reducing repository size since packages are no longer copied locally.

Common follow-ups: How does the global NuGet cache reduce disk usage across projects?;Can packages.config and PackageReference coexist during a transition?

Assemblies & NuGet;.NET CLI SDK & Project Structure (csproj)
All 16 .NET vs .NET Framework questions