.NET Rocks!

How is package management changing? Carl and Richard talk with Gary Ewan Park about his view of the package management landscape in the Windows world. Gary talks about the array of open source and free products out there today to do package management - you really have a lot of choice! There are also retail enterprise products that focus on features companies need to support larger numbers of machines, including virtual machines and cloud containers. The challenge of security and supply chain attacks is a key part of the modern landscape - and there are tools to help you get things right!

Calum Simpson, VP of AI at SSW and mastermind behind YakShaver, discusses building innovative AI tools. He dives into YakShaver's mission to reduce busywork in issue reporting, leveraging video inputs for richer context. The conversation highlights the use of Model Context Protocol servers in the upcoming V2, enhancing functionality by integrating directly with platforms like GitHub. Calum also reflects on the balance of responsibility in AI use, emphasizing the importance of human oversight and clear prompts for optimal outcomes in development.

Tom Kerkhove, a Senior software engineer at Microsoft specializing in Azure API Management, shares insights on creating environmentally sustainable software. He discusses the importance of making carbon footprints visible in applications and the potential of shifting workloads to low-emission data centers. Kerkhove highlights the need to measure emissions before taking action and addresses the issue of wasted CI/CD cycles. He also emphasizes the role of autoscaling in energy saving and the benefits of using API policies to minimize unnecessary workloads.

In this discussion with Leslie Richardson, a product manager on the .NET C# developer experience team, listeners get an inside look at how large language models like Copilot are transforming Visual Studio. Leslie reveals how these tools enhance debugging, improve feature discoverability, and assist in generating LINQ queries. The conversation also touches on balancing helpful interruptions with user experience. Plus, she previews exciting features in Visual Studio 2026 that aim for both advancement and user-friendliness.

Brady Gaster, a Microsoft product manager, focuses on enhancing developer tools for Azure and Visual Studio. In this discussion, he shares insights on app modernization and the exciting challenges of cloud integration. Brady talks about leveraging AI generators for large-scale migrations and the playful side of coding, including a fun game demo. He also addresses the evolving role of developers, emphasizing how AI allows teams to tackle higher-level tasks while navigating the ethical implications of AI-generated content.

Mattias Karlsson, a Senior architect and .NET/Microsoft MVP, discusses the innovative Cake.SDK, transforming the Cake open-source project. He highlights the benefits of integrating Cake into .NET applications for faster build automations and better testing environments. Mattias compares Cake to YAML, emphasizing its comprehensive programming language features. He covers using Cake for portable builds, its role in secure development, and the importance of community support in open source. The future looks exciting with the upcoming Cake 6.0 release!

Dan Delamarsky, a Principal product engineer at Microsoft, shares insights on the GitHub Spec Kit and specification-driven development. He discusses how breaking down tasks into granular specs helps LLMs generate quality code more effectively. Delamarsky emphasizes the importance of refining specifications to keep AI models focused and manageable. The conversation touches on using test-driven loops to complete generated code, the evolving role of developers in overseeing AI outputs, and the challenges of adopting this new approach in software development.

Rocky Lhotka, a veteran author and the creator of the CSLA .NET business objects framework, dives into the exciting world of CSLA 9. He discusses the recent surge in development and the modernization efforts that have revitalized its codebase. Rocky also explores the role of AI in software development, sharing his experiments with MCP servers that teach LLMs about CSLA. Additionally, he touches on integrating modern UI frameworks and the future direction of CSLA, including enhancements with Blazor and planned updates.

In this conversation, Chris Klug, a developer architect with a focus on cloud-based solutions, shares insights on utilizing .NET Aspire effectively. He emphasizes the concept of cloud-native as more than just location, discussing the importance of containers and Kubernetes in deployment strategies. Chris highlights Aspire's core benefit of simplifying local project management and debugging. They explore telemetry integration, testing strategies, and the balance between developing and production environments, while also recommending best practices for both greenfield and brownfield projects.

You write tests - but are they valuable tests? Carl and Richard talk to Egil Hansen about his approach to creating tests for applications. Egil discusses the types of testing and who they impact. Testing isn't only for you! Valuable tests are also durable, being able to persist between changes where it makes sense, and help to understand when updates are going to create problems. The role of LLMs in generating code comes into play: should AI write your tests, evaluate them, or do both? Lots of great thinking from someone who's been helping developers build better tests for years!