C# .NET Core Cross-Platform Desktop Application For Windows, Mac, & Linux

[Aaronesteban]

I'm new to using the C# language and .NET Core Framework. I normally used VB.NET with the .NET Framework and coding strictly for Windows Forms applications.

If I code in C# using the .NET Core, will I be able to build desktop applications that will be cross-platform to run on Windows, MAC, & Linux straight out of the box or will it still require a good amount of additional plugins or libraries?

Say that I export the application to an .exe file, will it be able to run immediately on Windows, MAC, & Linux in most scenarios?

 

[jmcilhinney]

You can create cross-platform applications with C# and .NET Core but both Windows Forms and WPF are specific to Windows, so you can use either of those technologies. Console apps will work without issue but if you want a GUI then you would need to look at Xamarin. It's not necessarily as easy as build-once-run-anywhere either. You should do a bit of reading on the subject.

 

[Aaronesteban]

You can create cross-platform applications with C# and .NET Core but both Windows Forms and WPF are specific to Windows, so you can use either of those technologies. Console apps will work without issue but if you want a GUI then you would need to look at Xamarin. It's not necessarily as easy as build-once-run-anywhere either. You should do a bit of reading on the subject.

I've done a good amount of reading already, but there is A LOT of mix up about it all. Some people say that all you need is to use the .NET Core, but then they only give examples with console apps instead of GUI desktop apps. Now you're saying to use Xamarin, but last I checked, Xamarin is only for mobile applications, not for desktop applications. Are you saying that they've done new updates to enable users to develop desktop applications with Xamarin? If so, where are the tutorials for getting started? Thank you for your reply.