.NET Rocks!

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!

AI in the cloud dominates, but what can you run locally? Carl and Richard speak with Joe Finney about his work in setting up local machine learning models. Joe discusses the non-LLM aspects of machine learning, including the vast array of models available at sites like Hugging Face. These models can help with image recognition, OCR, classifiers, and much more. Local LLMs are also a possibility, but the hardware requirements become more significant - a balance must be found between cost, security, and productivity!

James Montemagno, a Microsoft developer advocate focused on cross-platform .NET and AI tools, shares his insights on the evolution of coding with AI in Visual Studio Code. He contrasts various LLMs like GPT and Claude, explaining their strengths in coding tasks. The discussion dives into 'vibe coding', where AI is harnessed to streamline development while ensuring quality control. Montemagno emphasizes the importance of verifying AI outputs and the shift in developer roles toward greater architectural responsibility. A must-listen for those curious about AI's impact on development!

David Wengier, a principal software engineer at Microsoft, leads the Razor tooling experience for Visual Studio and VS Code. In this chat, he reveals the exciting co-hosting model with Roslyn that turbocharges Razor performance and reliability. David dives into the shared capabilities between Visual Studio and VS Code, enhancing developer tools through the Language Service Protocol. He also shares upcoming improvements in Visual Studio 2026, including faster Hot Reload and bug-fixing guidance, making for a more seamless coding experience.