Introduction

In this article, I am going to explain what is new in ASP.NET Core 2.1, its features and benefits, ASP.NET Core Versions, and why we use ASP.NET Core. Also, we will be learning how to set Visual Studio environment for developing ASP.NET Core 2.1 web application.

What is ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core is a new version of ASP.NET, developed by Microsoft. It is an open-source framework for developing web applications and it can be run on Windows, Mac, or Linux. ASP.NET Core applications can run on both .NET CORE and traditional .NET Framework (.NET framework 4.x). It is completely rewritten from scratch and it was initially launched as ASP.NET 5 before it was renamed to ASP.NET CORE 1.0.
So, in simple words, ASP.NET Core is a cross-platform, high-performance, open-source framework for building modern, cloud-based, internet-connected applications.

ASP.NET Core Versions

ASP.NET Core 2.1

History of ASP.NET Core Versions

The below table shows the details of ASP.NET Core Versions.
Version
Release Date
Development/Editor Tool
Support
Asp.Net Core 1.0
Jun-27-2016
Visual Studio 2015 updated version 3
1.0
Asp.Net Core 1.1
Nov-18-2016
Visual Studio 2015,2017
1.0,1.1
Asp.Net Core 2.0
Aug-14-2017
Visual Studio 2017 Version 15.3
1.0,1.1,2.0
Asp.Net Core 2.1 Long Term Support
May-30-2018
Visual Studio 2017 Version 15.7
1.0,1.1,2.0,2.1
Asp.Net Core 2.2
Dec-04-2018
Visual Studio 2017 Version15.9
1.0,1.1,2.0,2.1,2.2
Asp.Net Core 3.0 Preview 9
Sep-04-2019
Visual Studio 2019
1.0,1.1,2.0,2.1,2.2,3.0
Note
ASP.NET Core and .NET Core, both are different, just like ASP.NET and .NET framework.

Why Use ASP.NET Core?

Setting up a machine for ASP.NET Core 2.1 development

We need to install 2 software tools for developing ASP.NET Core 2.1 application.
Step 1 - Download and Install an editor for Asp.NET Core 2.1 Development
I am using Visual Studio 2017 updated version 15.3.9 as the editor for Asp .NET Core 2.1 application development. You can use any editor of your choice.
Download and install Visual Studio
Step 2 - Download and install .NET Core 2.1 SDK
You can download the .NET Core 2.1 SDK from this link here.
After installing .NET Core SDK 2.1, for checking I am creating a new ASP.NET Core 2.1 Application. Notice, in the .NET Core Dropdown list ASP.NET Core 2.1 is came. So our software installation completed successfully.
ASP.NET Core 2.1

Conclusion

In this article, we explained the basics of ASP.NET Core 2.1 and how to set up a machine to develop the ASP.NET Core 2.1 applications.