Introduction of ASP.NET Core OData 9

Microsoft has officially launched the much-anticipated ASP.NET Core OData 9 package on August 30th, 2024. This powerful upgrade aligns ASP.NET Core with the OData libraries for .NET 8, introducing essential enhancements that promise to boost performance and conform more closely to the OData specification.

Transition to OData 8.0.0

The switch to OData 8.0.0 marks a critical transition, as Microsoft has made the bold decision to once again drop support for the legacy .NET Framework. From now on, developers must upgrade to .NET 8 or newer to harness the new features and abilities of OData libraries. Fear not, though! Those still clinging to the older .NET Framework can continue using the 7.x version of OData libraries, which will remain supported until March 2025, after which they will enter maintenance mode.

New Features and Enhancements

So, what’s new about OData 8 and what can developers expect? One of the most notable enhancements is the introduction of a new JSON writer, System.Text.Utf8JsonWriter, which has been meticulously designed for improved performance. This upgrade allows for a faster and more memory-efficient serialization and deserialization of JSON payloads. Unlike its predecessor, the old JsonWriter used by the Microsoft.OData.Json.DefaultJsonWriterFactory—which was based on TextWriter—the new writer relies on a Stream, and it's a game-changer!

The previous JSON writer had a habit of encoding all higher-ASCII Unicode characters as a numeric sequence, bloating payload sizes and slowing down the encoding process. In contrast, the new writer maintains the actual Unicode character representation, thereby significantly reducing the payload size and increasing efficiency. Additionally, it utilizes uppercase Unicode characters, departing from the lowercase used by earlier versions.

Improved Dependency Injection

Moreover, ASP.NET Core OData 9 introduces an overhaul of the dependency injection process. Gone are the days of the non-standard IContainerBuilder; the updated library now aligns with .NET’s IServiceProvider, streamlining how OData services are configured.

For developers eager to implement these upgrades, here's a sneak peek of the updated service configuration: ```csharp builder.Services.AddControllers().AddOData(options => options.EnableQueryFeatures().AddRouteComponents(routePrefix: string.Empty, model: modelBuilder.GetEdmModel(), configureServices: (services) => { services.AddDefaultODataServices(odataVersion: Microsoft.OData.ODataVersion.V4); })); ```

Removal of Outdated Features

Additionally, minor yet impactful changes have been made to remove outdated implementations and legacy standards such as JSONP format, making way for a more robust framework. Developers should check the detailed release notes of the OData 8 .NET libraries for a comprehensive list of changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ASP.NET Core OData 9 is not just an enhancement; it’s a significant step forward for developers embracing modern technology. Advanced performance, updated features, and a refined coding structure are all waiting for you! Will you be one of the first to jump on this revolutionary upgrade? Don’t get left behind—start upgrading today!