GC internals, Minimal APIs, MCP agents
A varied .NET roundup covering CLR memory behavior, C# pattern matching, Task vs ValueTask, DDD in Clean Architecture, Azure HSM, and MAUI app building.
Jasen's top three picks
- 1 How do I inform Windows that I'm writing a binary file?
Microsoft Dev Blogs
A classic Raymond Chen clarification that untangles text-vs-binary assumptions at the OS boundary.
- 2 Introducing Apache Arrow Support in mssql-python
Microsoft Dev Blogs
Not .NET-specific, but useful if you move SQL Server data into analytical pipelines and care about transfer efficiency.
- 3 MCP Magic: Building Tool-Enabled AI Agents with C#
Visual Studio Magazine
Worth a look if you're tracking where C# fits in agent tooling and MCP-based integration patterns.
Editor's note
I kept this issue deliberately mixed, which is usually where the most useful surprises show up. The CLR memory and GC piece is a strong refresher before you reach for a profiler, and the controllers-to-Minimal-APIs migration guide is practical for teams modernizing existing ASP.NET Core apps. I also liked the MCP agents article because it shows how quickly AI tooling is becoming relevant to everyday C# work.
Today's articles
How do I inform Windows that I'm writing a binary file?
Microsoft Dev Blogs
A customer wanted to know how to inform Windows that they were opening a file in text mode, as opposed to binary mode. That way, Windows can perform text conversions as necessary, like adding carriage...
Topics: .NET Framework
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Introducing Apache Arrow Support in mssql-python
Microsoft Dev Blogs
mssql-python now supports fetching SQL Server data directly as Apache Arrow structures - a faster and more memory-efficient path for anyone working with SQL Server data in Polars, Pandas, DuckDB, or a...
Topics: Performance SQL Server
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MCP Magic: Building Tool-Enabled AI Agents with C#
Visual Studio Magazine
Rockford Lhotka previews his Visual Studio Live! San Diego session, "MCP Magic," and explains why the Model Context Protocol is becoming a key building block for AI agents. In this Q&A, ...
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Memory, GC & the CLR — What Every .NET Performance Engineer Must Know
Medium
Before you open a profiler, before you start tuning code, you need to understand what’s actually happening under the hood.
Topics: Performance Profiling
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Pattern matching in C#: Advanced scenarios you didn't know
elmah.io Blog - .NET Technical tutorials/guides and new features
table of contents Pattern matching is not just condition checking. It reflects how you think as a developer. Matching and validation can be achieved in a naive, descriptive way. However, a cleaner app...
Topics: C#
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10 Hidden Features in C# That Will Make You a Better Developer
blog.stackademic.com
Most developers learn the basics of C# and stop at classes, loops or maybe a bit of LINQ. But C# has evolved a lot over the years and many… Continue reading on Stackademic »
Topics: C#
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Simple Multithreading in C# with a Practical Example (.NET 10)
Medium
Multithreading is a fundamental concept in modern programming that allows applications to perform multiple operations concurrently.
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How to migrate from controllers to Minimal APIs
Round The Code
Learn why Minimal APIs are now recommended in .NET and follow a step-by-step guide to migrate from controllers to Minimal APIs with versioning and Swagger. The page How to migrate from controllers to ...
Topics: ASP.NET Core Minimal APIs
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Enforcing trust and transparency: Open-sourcing the Azure Integrated HSM
Microsoft Azure
As cloud workloads become more agentic and AI systems handle increasingly sensitive data, trust must be engineered directly into infrastructure. Azure Integrated HSM brings hardware‑enforced key prote...
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How do I have an image for my Entity?
Jeremy Davis - Sitecore, C# and web development
I've been spending some time setting up some custom Entities in Content Hub recently. I bumped up against an issue with one feature where it took me a while to find the right info to make it work the ...
Topics: .NET Core
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How To Use Domain-Driven Design In Clean Architecture
Medium
A Practical Guide for .NET 10 Developers Building Enterprise-Grade Systems
Topics: Clean Architecture Domain-Driven Design .NET 10
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What We Lost the Last Time Code Got Cheap
Mark Downie - PoppaString
I worked at a startup in Toledo called Heartland Information Services. We provided transcription services to some of the biggest hospitals in the United States, and we weren't small. Heartland was one...
Topics: C#
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Difference Between ValueTask and Task in C# with Performance Use Cases?
C# Corner
Explore Task vs. ValueTask in C# async programming. Learn when to use ValueTask for performance gains by minimizing memory allocation in high-throughput scenarios. Task is simpler and safer!
Topics: C# Performance
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I Built My Own Cross-Platform Media Player
Medium
For a long time, media players felt like one of those things that already existed. Continue reading on Mr. Plan ₿ Publication »
Topics: .NET MAUI
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