The .NET Insider – Issue 22

.NET 11 Preview 3 introduces performance improvements, runtime enhancements, and updates across the ecosystem. It gives developers an early look at upcoming features and direction. The release focuses on stability, developer productivity, and preparing the platform for future innovations. A good overview if you want to stay ahead of what’s coming in .NET.

This monthly update includes security fixes, reliability improvements, and patches across supported .NET versions. Staying up to date ensures better stability and protects applications from known vulnerabilities. Essential reading for teams running production systems.

Microsoft introduces MCP-powered apps directly in Copilot Chat, enabling AI agents to interact with tools and services seamlessly. This unlocks new automation scenarios and integrates AI deeper into developer workflows. A major step toward agent-driven development.

A new Fluent API simplifies building MCP-enabled applications with less boilerplate. Developers can define tools and capabilities more easily, improving productivity and adoption of MCP in real-world applications.

SQL MCP Server allows AI agents to securely query databases using MCP. It bridges structured data with AI systems, making it easier to build intelligent, data-driven applications.

An updated guide to building AI-powered apps in .NET using .NET 10. It covers Microsoft.Extensions.AI, vector data, and agent workflows with practical examples. A solid starting point for developers entering AI development.

This post explores how .NET Aspire is evolving to support agent-based development. It highlights orchestration, observability, and integration with AI agents for modern distributed systems.

Developers can now access Aspire documentation directly in the terminal. This reduces context switching and improves productivity by bringing documentation closer to the development workflow.

This update introduces export capabilities and improved telemetry in the Aspire dashboard. It provides better visibility into distributed applications and system behavior.

C# 15 introduces union types, allowing developers to model values that can represent multiple types safely. This improves readability and reduces boilerplate when handling different outcomes.

After ten months using GitHub Copilot Coding Agent (CCA) in dotnet/runtime, the .NET team shares data-driven lessons on cloud-AI-assisted development.

This post shows how to build high-performance Node.js addons using .NET Native AOT. It demonstrates cross-platform interop and how .NET can extend beyond traditional environments.

.NET MAUI 11 adds pin clustering to the Map control, automatically grouping nearby pins into cluster markers. Learn how to enable clustering, create separate clustering groups, and handle cluster taps on Android and iOS.

Microsoft announces general availability of native authentication with social identity providers. It simplifies integrating external logins while maintaining security and consistent UX.