Microsoft has released a beta of Windows Compatibility Pack, a tool which will allow developers to port applications from the .NET Framework to .NET Core. The Windows Compatibility Pack makes 20,000 APIs that were previously accessible only to .NET Framework available to .NET core. The .NET Framework is Microsoft’s development environment for Windows desktop applications; .NET Core enables cross-platform Web applications.
According to InfoWorld, “There are reasons to port to .Net Core as well as reasons not to do so. On the plus side, .Net Core enables web applications that can scale and can run on Linux; the addition of the .Net Framework APIs makes .Net Core more useful. On the minus side, developers who want to use Microsoft desktop technologies such as WinForms, Windows Presentation Foundation, or ASP.Net should stick with .Net Framework.”
