Maui deprecations, Aspire 9.5, and EF Core wins
A varied .NET roundup covering MAUI changes, Aspire 9.5, EF Core tuning, SQL Server 2025 AI features, security, and MCP.
Jasen's top three picks
- 1 Say Goodbye to the FontImageExtension in .NET MAUI 👋
askxammy.com
MAUI’s FontImageExtension is on the way out, so if your app leans on icon fonts, now’s the time to adjust.
- 2 The Builder Pattern in .NET C#: From Complex Constructors to Fluent APIs (2025)
levelup.gitconnected.com
A practical Builder Pattern refresher—useful if you’re trying to make constructors less painful without overengineering.
- 3 One Line, 40% Faster: The EF Core Fix Every .NET Developer Should Know
medium.com
A simple EF Core tweak delivering a big speedup is exactly the kind of win teams can ship fast.
Editor's note
I kept this one intentionally mixed: platform changes, practical performance, and a bit of AI all landed in the same issue. The MAUI FontImageExtension deprecation is one teams will feel quickly, and the Aspire 9.5 release brings real CLI and dashboard improvements. The EF Core performance piece and the SQL Server 2025 article are both worth a close read if you care about runtime efficiency.
Today's articles
Say Goodbye to the FontImageExtension in .NET MAUI 👋
askxammy.com
For quite some time, the FontImageExtension has been used to display font icons inside controls. But, as part of the news in .NET 10 for .NET MAUI, this extension is now deprecated, which means you sh...
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The Builder Pattern in .NET C#: From Complex Constructors to Fluent APIs (2025)
levelup.gitconnected.com
Master Pattern Builder in .NET C#: Evolution from complex constructors to modern fluent APIs with practical examples. Continue reading on Level Up Coding »
Topics: C# Design Patterns
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One Line, 40% Faster: The EF Core Fix Every .NET Developer Should Know
medium.com
See how a simple code adjustment led to a huge performance jump — without rewriting queries or upgrading infrastructure.
Topics: EF Core Performance
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ASP.NET Community Standup - Vibe coding a C# MCP server
youtube.com
Unit testing for a .NET Web API project.
Topics: ASP.NET Core Unit Testing Web API
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Background Services in .NET: IHostedService vs Worker Service
medium.com
IHostedService vs Worker Service: A Detailed Guide for .NET Developers to Choose the Right Background Service Approach.
Topics: ASP.NET Core .NET Core
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Stop Ignoring Options: 5 Cleaner and Safer Configurations in .NET
blog.stackademic.com
Small .NET features, big impact, master configuration, runtime switches, and testable time without headaches. Continue reading on Stackademic »
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C# 12 Features I Actually Use in Production (and Which Ones I Ignore)
medium.com
A practical look at what stuck and what stayed on the shelf Continue reading on .Net Programming »
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Zero-Downtime Transition from IdentityServer4 to Keycloak
medium.com
Introduction
Topics: Authentication Azure OAuth
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SQL Server 2025 Isn’t Just a Database — It’s Your New AI Platform
towardsdev.com
Tired of managing a dozen different services just to add AI features like semantic search or RAG to your application? SQL Server 2025 is… Continue reading on Towards Dev »
Topics: OpenAI SQL Server
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Announcing Aspire 9.5
devblogs.microsoft.com
Aspire 9.5 adds the preview 'aspire update' command, single-file AppHost, richer CLI and dashboard UX, and new integrations for AI, DevTunnels, and more. The post Announcing Aspire 9.5 appeared first...
Topics: .NET Aspire Azure .NET 9
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The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to 6 Hidden C# Features
medium.com
Boost your skills with these under-the-radar tools and examples. Continue reading on Towards Dev »
Topics: C#
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Why Dot Net Is a Must for Modern Developers
medium.com
Introduction: Embracing Dot Net in Today’s Tech World
Topics: .NET Core
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Exploring Text-to-Image capabilities in .NET
devblogs.microsoft.com
Learn how to generate images from natural language prompts using the universal abstractions in Microsoft's extensions for .NET AI. The post Exploring Text-to-Image capabilities in .NET appeared first...
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How I Fixed a .NET Dashboard That Got 300% Slower Overnight
itnext.io
Query Store helped me trace regressions, plan changes, and missing indexes — no APM or guesswork required. Continue reading on ITNEXT »
Topics: Performance SQL Server
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How to Secure Your C# Applications: Best Practices & Code Examples
blog.stackademic.com
Why Security Should Be Your Top Priority Continue reading on Stackademic »
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Implement a secure MCP server using OAuth and Entra ID
damienbod.com
The article shows how to implement a secure model context protocol (MCP) server using OAuth and Entra ID. The MCP server is implemented using ASP.NET Core and uses Microsoft Entra ID to secure the API...
Topics: ASP.NET Core Authentication OAuth
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