Should we reconsider our default suggestions for netstandard2.0?

[baronfel]

Type of issue

Feedback

Description

The default assumption on our suggestions for cross-targeting are to start from netstandard2.0.

Is this good/relevant advice anymore? To me, a good default for a library author is something more like net6.0, and only in cases of requiring framework support or VS would you ever consider a netstandard2.0 target. Especially as we're trying to make a push ecosystem-wide for enabling features like AOT, I worry that a default of such an common-denominator TFM will result in library authors writing libraries that

1. don't use modern .NET idioms, and
2. inadvertently block the use of AOT/Trimming related tech

cc @richlander @agocke @jaredpar @ericstj for thoughts here.

Page URL

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/library-guidance/cross-platform-targeting

Content source URL

https://github.com/dotnet/docs/blob/main/docs/standard/library-guidance/cross-platform-targeting.md

Document Version Independent Id

aff99d6b-9471-9277-160b-670ee8028b53

Platform Id

dc4d5a4c-4372-8ec5-e1f2-e3aa9f99e754

Article author

@JamesNK

Metadata

• ID: 5b3638c9-ea3c-1c9e-2763-5c3e8e965663
• PlatformId: dc4d5a4c-4372-8ec5-e1f2-e3aa9f99e754
• Service: dotnet-fundamentals

Related Issues

[richlander]

Agree. It no longer represents best practices.

It's important to avoid mixing two things:

• Cross-platform: If the apps in your cross-platform portfolio are all on .NET 8 (for example), then your libraries can target .NET 8, too. Basically, no special pattern required.
• Breadth: If you are building a library for lots of users, then supporting the last two LTS version is a good bet.

These two topics have no relation. On it's face, the need to target cross-platform doesn't lead to you consider .NET 6.

Perhaps we should just delete the doc and ensure we have a good doc on breadth targeting? If so, this doc has some relationship: https://github.com/dotnet/core/blob/main/Documentation/policies/package-servicing.md.