Discovering .Net Core: My Development Journey

Hello, my friend. If you don’t know me, my name is Aryan Gupta, a passionate web developer and Backend developer who’s making very specific questions on the internet and not finding answers.

Today with this article i am explaining my journey in the .NET core development journey from coming from MERN stack environment and now being a .NET developer what changed and why

Why .NET core ??

This year, in January, I joined a company as an SDE intern, where the entire codebase is in .NET Core. Coming from a MERN stack or Python background was challenging, but it gave me a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn a new language and system.

How i started learning it

First, like any developer today, I jumped straight to YouTube (because who reads documentation, right? Just kidding!). But seriously, on YouTube, I found they only covered the basics of the language and framework, not in-depth stuff. So, I decided to dive into a project to really get to know it and learn from my mistakes. This approach worked better than the last one! That project taught me a ton about the framework and all its little details. I felt ready to tackle the company codebase, but boy, was I wrong!

What YouTube Taught vs. What You Learn from Reading the Code

Learning from YouTube was helpful, but it didn't cover everything. When I looked at my company's codebase, I was completely lost. I kept wondering, "Where does the code start? How do I set up the project? What does this part do?" All these questions were swirling in my head, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

To my surprise, I did manage to figure it out! At first, it was tough, but by asking my senior lots of questions—really, a lot—I started to understand how to set up the codebase. Bit by bit, I tackled one API at a time and debugged the code to get a better grasp of it.

I realized that asking people is way more important than just watching videos or reading docs. The internet is full of people and platforms like Reddit and Stack Overflow, so don't hesitate to ask your questions!

What problem did I face with the codebase, you may ask?

Well, first off, the code structure was quite a surprise! The folder setup was unlike anything I'd seen before in .NET Core, with different services using classes and interfaces. Coming from a JavaScript and Python background, I was a bit lost. What really threw me off was the difference between the old .NET code and the new code—it was a completely different setup. Additionally, I faced a problem understanding circular dependencies in .NET Core. It was a concept I wasn't familiar with, and I only got to know about it from a senior who explained how it could lead to issues in the codebase. And then there was the debugging part. Starting the codebase for debugging wasn't as simple as clicking a run button. I had to set up Internet Information Services, publish half the code, and then attach the process.

But hey, I was new to all this, which is why it seemed tough at first. Once I got the hang of it, I understood why things were done this way. Writing clean, type-safe code was challenging, especially making it modular and understandable for others. Now I realize how important readability is, especially when working on someone else's code. It makes writing my own code much easier, and creating generic, decoupled code is key. I'm still learning about writing clean code, so it definitely takes time!

Well, how about we chat a bit about .NET? What do you think?

When you're looking at development platforms, .NET Core really shines because it's flexible, fast, and works across different operating systems. Unlike older frameworks that are tied to just one system, .NET Core runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. This means developers can create and launch apps in various environments without being limited to one system. It supports multiple programming languages like C#, F#, and VB.NET, providing a consistent experience for building web, desktop, mobile, cloud, and IoT apps.

What makes .NET Core special is its modern, modular design and impressive speed. It's open-source, lightweight, and perfect for creating scalable, cloud-ready apps. With features like built-in dependency injection, a robust command-line interface, and side-by-side versioning, .NET Core gives developers more control and efficiency. Backed by Microsoft and a strong community, it offers regular updates, long-term support, and solid security, making it a great choice for both startups and large companies.

Wrapping it up

My journey with .NET has been amazing! I've learned so much, especially about the core aspects of being a coder. But remember, a language or framework is just a tool you can pick up. I believe understanding the problem and the business you're working for is even more important. So, learn any framework you like, but always keep in mind that problem-solving is what truly matters.

As for me, I'm still learning about the framework, but I'm doing it much faster now and gaining a lot more knowledge beyond just the framework itself.