Convert .NET Core 2.0 class libraries to .NET Standard

Question

Is there a way to easily convert a class library targeting .NET Core 2.0 to .NET Standard?

If I understand it correctly, if one wants to maximize the reusability of class libraries in projects targeting different .NET frameworks e.g. .NET Framework, .NET Core, Xamarin, etc., it's a better idea to target .NET Standard -- provided that all the required APIs are available in the version of .NET Standard that will be targeted.

This is the reason why I want to convert my class libraries from .NET Core 2.0 to .NET Standard 1.6 or .NET Standard 2.0.

Artru Artru · Accepted Answer · 2017-09-07T04:31:49

In the project file, you can point target compilation to netstandard with the exact version.

Example of Proj.csproj:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard1.6</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>
...

Microsoft provides good documentation about targeting types.

Dotnet Standard is not a framework or a library, it is an abstract set of instructions: what functionality should have System.Array, String, List, and so on. Currently, there are different implementations: .NET Framework, .NET Core, Mono, Xamarin, Windows Phone. It means that different implementations can recompile and reuse your library targeting netstandard. It is a very good choice for a NuGet package.

You can play with the versions and find the minimum function set required for your library. Each Dotnet Standard extends the functionality of the previous version. Thus, the less the targeted version is selected the more platforms your library will support.

Convert .NET Core 2.0 class libraries to .NET Standard

3 Answers