Getting Started with .NET Upgrade Assistant [3 of 18] Migrating from ASP.NET to ASP.NET Core

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers on utilizing the .NET Upgrade Assistant tool to transition from .NET Framework to .NET 7. It explains the tool's purpose, which is to analyze solutions for dependencies and automate upgrade changes. The video outlines the prerequisites, such as Windows OS and Visual Studio 2022, and demonstrates how to install and use the tool via command line. It also covers the tool's commands, including 'analyze' for understanding required changes and 'upgrade' for implementing them. The video encourages viewers to check the GitHub repository for community contributions and detailed documentation, setting the stage for a hands-on demonstration in the next episode.

Takeaways

• 🔧 The .NET Upgrade Assistant tool is designed to help developers upgrade their solutions from .NET Framework to .NET 7.
• 📚 The tool provides analysis of a solution's dependencies and determines compatibility with new .NET Framework APIs.
• 🚀 It can automate some of the upgrade changes, but it's not a complete solution that will handle every aspect of the upgrade process.
• 🛠️ For large class libraries and projects with web dependencies, the ASP.NET incremental migration tooling is recommended instead.
• 📝 The tool guides users through an interactive series of steps to apply changes and notifies them of manual changes needed after the process.
• 💡 Upgrade Assistant is particularly useful for WinForms, WPF, WCF, console applications, and small to medium-sized class libraries, as well as Xamarin apps.
• 🌐 The tool is a .NET CLI SDK tool, meaning it's used from the command line and installed globally using the .NET SDK.
• 🔗 To get started, visit the documentation on learn.microsoft.com or the GitHub repository for detailed instructions and community contributions.
• 🔄 The tool can be updated or uninstalled using .NET CLI commands, ensuring users have access to the latest features and fixes.
• 🔎 The 'analyze' command provides a report on what needs to be changed for the upgrade, without making any changes to the project.
• 🛑 The 'upgrade' command is the primary interactive command used to update a project to target newer versions of .NET, with options to target different releases.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the .NET Upgrade Assistant tool?

The .NET Upgrade Assistant tool is used to analyze a solution and understand its dependencies when upgrading from .NET Framework to .NET 7. It shows which NuGet packages are being used, whether they are compatible with the new target, and automates some of the upgrade changes.

Why is it recommended to start with Upgrade Assistant when upgrading to .NET 7?

Starting with Upgrade Assistant helps to understand the work ahead and identify which dependencies will work with .NET 7 and which ones need to be changed. It's also used to automate some of the upgrade changes, making the process more efficient.

For what types of projects is Upgrade Assistant recommended?

Upgrade Assistant is recommended for WinForms applications, WPF apps, WCF console applications, small to medium-sized class libraries, and Xamarin apps. It's not recommended for very large class libraries or projects with web dependencies.

What are the prerequisites for using Upgrade Assistant?

The prerequisites for using Upgrade Assistant include having the ability to build the original project and the project using its new target. This typically requires a Windows machine with a recent version of the .NET SDK in Visual Studio 2022.

How can one get started with Upgrade Assistant?

To get started with Upgrade Assistant, one can visit the documentation on learn.microsoft.com or the GitHub repository for the tool. It is installed globally using the .NET SDK with the command 'dotnet tool install -g upgrade-assistant'.

What is the difference between the 'analyze' and 'upgrade' commands in Upgrade Assistant?

The 'analyze' command generates a report listing the changes needed to upgrade a project to .NET 7 without making any changes. The 'upgrade' command, on the other hand, walks through the changes interactively and applies them to the project to upgrade it to the newer version of .NET.

What does the 'extensions' command in Upgrade Assistant do?

The 'extensions' command in Upgrade Assistant allows users to install and manage extensions from NuGet, enabling customization of the tool's behavior by adding additional upgrade steps or modifying existing ones.

What is the purpose of the 'features' command in Upgrade Assistant?

The 'features' command is used to enable or disable experimental features in Upgrade Assistant, such as cross-platform deployment, solution-wide SDK conversion, and the 'analyze binaries' command.

How can one update or uninstall Upgrade Assistant?

To update Upgrade Assistant, run 'dotnet tool update -g upgrade-assistant'. To uninstall it, use 'dotnet tool uninstall -g upgrade-assistant'.

What is the role of the 'analyze binaries' command in Upgrade Assistant?

The 'analyze binaries' command provides a deep analysis of the .NET dependencies in a project, checking if the APIs being called are available in the new version of .NET the project is being upgraded to.

How can one contribute to or get involved with the development of Upgrade Assistant?

Contributions to Upgrade Assistant can be made by visiting the GitHub repository, where one can submit issues, create pull requests, or engage in discussions. The tool is open source and welcomes community contributions.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Introduction to .NET Upgrade Assistant Tool

This paragraph introduces the .NET Upgrade Assistant tool, which is designed to assist developers in upgrading their projects from .NET Framework to .NET 7. The tool analyzes dependencies, identifies NuGet packages, and determines compatibility with the new target framework. It also automates some upgrade changes. The paragraph emphasizes that Upgrade Assistant is not a one-size-fits-all solution but is particularly useful for projects like ASP.NET apps, WPF, WCF, console applications, and Xamarin apps. It highlights that the tool guides users through an interactive process of upgrading, with some changes applied automatically and others requiring manual adjustments. The user is directed to the official documentation and GitHub repository for prerequisites, installation instructions, and community contributions.

05:02

🔧 Using .NET Upgrade Assistant for Project Analysis and Upgrade

This section explains the process of using the .NET Upgrade Assistant tool, starting with its installation as a global .NET SDK tool via the command line. It outlines the primary commands available in the tool: 'analyze' for understanding necessary changes, 'upgrade' for applying those changes interactively, 'extensions' for managing additional upgrade steps from NuGet, and 'features' for toggling experimental features. The paragraph also details how to enable and use the 'analyze binaries' feature, which provides a deep analysis of .NET dependencies. The user is guided on how to run the tool and the various commands it supports, with an emphasis on the importance of understanding the upgrade process and the tool's capabilities.

10:03

📚 Getting Started with .NET Upgrade Assistant

The final paragraph serves as a recap and a call to action for getting started with the .NET Upgrade Assistant. It suggests reviewing the GitHub page and official documentation for a comprehensive understanding of the tool. The user is instructed on how to install the tool using the .NET CLI and is reminded of the importance of having the necessary prerequisites, such as a recent version of the .NET SDK and Visual Studio 2022. The paragraph concludes with an invitation to the next video, where the actual analysis with the tool will commence, promising a hands-on approach to the upgrade process.

Keywords

💡.NET Upgrade Assistant

The .NET Upgrade Assistant is a tool designed to help developers transition their applications from the .NET Framework to .NET 7. It's integral to the video's theme as it is the primary subject discussed for facilitating the upgrade process. The tool analyzes dependencies, shows NuGet package compatibility, and automates certain upgrade changes, as mentioned in the script when discussing the tool's capabilities and usage.

💡.NET Framework

.NET Framework is a platform used for building and running applications on Windows. It is a foundational concept in the video, as the process described involves upgrading from this platform to .NET 7. The script refers to it when explaining the starting point for the upgrade process and the target for the .NET Upgrade Assistant's analysis.

💡.NET 7

.NET 7 is a newer version of the .NET platform that the video discusses upgrading to. It represents the endpoint of the upgrade process and is a central concept in the script, where the tool's purpose is to help migrate projects to this version, ensuring compatibility and leveraging new features.

💡NuGet packages

NuGet packages are libraries that can be used in .NET applications to add functionality. In the video script, they are highlighted as a critical aspect that the .NET Upgrade Assistant evaluates for compatibility with the new .NET 7 target, showing which packages will work and which might need to be changed or updated.

💡Dependencies

Dependencies in the context of the video refer to the external libraries or packages that a project relies on to function. The .NET Upgrade Assistant tool helps developers understand and manage these dependencies, particularly in relation to their compatibility with .NET 7, as mentioned when discussing the tool's analysis capabilities.

💡ASP.NET Incremental Migration Tooling

This is an alternative tool mentioned in the script for specific types of projects, such as large class libraries and projects with web dependencies. It represents an alternative approach to upgrading certain projects and is brought up when discussing the limitations and recommendations for using the .NET Upgrade Assistant.

💡CLI (Command Line Interface)

The CLI is the method by which the .NET Upgrade Assistant is operated, as it is a .NET SDK tool. The script explains that the tool is run from the command line, distinguishing it from other tools with graphical user interfaces, and detailing the process of installation and usage via command-line instructions.

💡Extensions

In the context of the .NET Upgrade Assistant, extensions refer to additional functionality that can be added to the tool via NuGet packages. The script briefly touches on this feature, allowing developers to customize the tool's behavior with extra upgrade steps or modifications.

💡Features Command

The Features Command within the .NET Upgrade Assistant allows users to toggle experimental features. The script explains how to enable and use these features, such as 'analyze binaries,' which provides a deep analysis of .NET dependencies, an example of an experimental feature mentioned in the video.

💡GitHub

GitHub is mentioned in the script as the platform where the .NET Upgrade Assistant is developed as an open-source tool. It is a key concept for those interested in the development and community contributions to the tool, including accessing the latest changes, discussions, and documentation.

💡Visual Studio 2022

Visual Studio 2022 is a development environment required for using the .NET Upgrade Assistant, as stated in the script. It is part of the prerequisites for the tool, indicating that the upgrade process is tied to this specific version of the IDE for building and upgrading projects.

Highlights

Introduction to the .NET Upgrade Assistant tool for upgrading from .NET Framework to .NET 7.

Explanation of the two main reasons to start with Upgrade Assistant: analyzing solution dependencies and automating upgrade changes.

Upgrade Assistant's capability to show NuGet package dependencies and their compatibility with the new .NET Framework APIs.

Recommendation to use Upgrade Assistant for projects other than large class libraries and those with web dependencies.

Description of the interactive upgrade process provided by Upgrade Assistant for small to medium-sized projects.

Clarification that Upgrade Assistant is not a complete solution but automates simple changes, allowing focus on complex ones.

Instructions on where to find documentation and prerequisites for using Upgrade Assistant.

Mention of the requirement for a Windows machine and a recent version of .NET SDK in Visual Studio 2022.

Details on how to install and use Upgrade Assistant from the command line as a .NET CLI SDK tool.

Description of the four primary commands of Upgrade Assistant: analyze, upgrade, extensions, and features.

Explanation of the 'analyze' command for generating a report on necessary project changes for upgrading.

Details on the 'upgrade' command for updating a project to target newer versions of .NET interactively.

Brief overview of the 'extensions' command for managing additional upgrade steps from NuGet packages.

Introduction to the 'features' command for enabling and experimenting with preview features of Upgrade Assistant.

Demonstration of enabling the 'analyze binaries' feature for a deep analysis of .NET dependencies.

Final recommendation to visit the GitHub page or documentation for further guidance on using Upgrade Assistant.

Transcripts

welcome back in this video we're going

to take a look at how to get started

with the.net Upgrade Assistant tool now

in previous videos we've already looked

at the high level process we're going to

go through to upgrade from.net framework

to.net7 and we've talked about why you

might want to make that change

now we're ready to dive into the details

and start actually upgrading our sample

solution and to do that we're going to

begin with the.net upgraded system tool

and the reason we start with Upgrade

Assistant is twofold first this is the

tool that we're going to use to analyze

our solution and understand its

dependencies Upgrade Assistant is able

to show us nuget packages we depend on

as well as whether or not they're going

to work with our new Target and Net

Framework apis we're using and whether

they're available on our new Target or

not so Upgrade Assistant is the right

place to start to understand what work

you have ahead of you and what which of

your dependencies are going to work

with.net 7 and which ones are going to

need to be changed also for many types

of projects upgrade assistance is the

tool that you'll use to actually

automate some of the upgrade changes

themselves

now we don't recommend it for all

projects specifically for very large

class libraries and for any project that

has uh web dependencies we recommend you

use the newer asp.net incremental

migration tooling which we'll talk about

in a later video but for all other

projects we recommend Upgrade Assistant

so if you're if you have an asp.net app

or a class library with system.web

dependencies or a very large class

library that you may need to migrate in

Parts you can look at the other tooling

but for anything else for winforms

applications WPF apps WCF console

applications small to medium-sized class

libraries xamarin apps for all of those

Upgrade Assistant is a great tool for

helping you through the upgrade process

it does that by walking you through a

series of steps interactively

of things that need to change to move

from.net framework up to.net 7. as you

go each step will be applied and turn

automatically as much as is possible and

you'll be notified of things that you

need to change manually afterwards so

once you've finished running the tool I

do want to be clear that Upgrade

Assistant is not a magic Silver Bullet

that's going to automatically upgrade

everything but it will automate away

many of the simple changes so that then

you can focus on the really interesting

ones

for very small and simple projects

Upgrade Assistant May completely upgrade

your project but more likely what the

tool will do is interactively walk you

through a series of upgrade steps that

it applies and then at the end of that

you'll have to go in and upgrade a make

additional changes to complete the

upgrade and so we'll take a look at what

that looks like during these videos

so to start with you can go out to

learn.microsoft.com.net core slash

porting upgrade Dash assistant Dash

overview to see the documentation on our

doc site on how to get started with the

tool we include here some prerequisites

Upgrade Assistant has to be able to

build the project

um in order to upgrade it so we have to

be able to build the original project as

well as the project using its new Target

and so for that you typically will need

to be able to build on a Windows machine

so you need so Upgrade Assistant

currently only supports Windows and you

will need a recent version of the.net

SDK in Visual Studio 2022.

once you have those prerequisites the

documentation here will explain how to

get started installing and using the

tool for additional details you can go

check out the GitHub repo Upgrade

Assistant is developed as an open source

tool with Community contributions and so

by going to

github.com.net upgrade Dash assistant

you can see all the latest you can see

the latest changes that are being

checked in you can see conversations in

the GitHub discussions and in the issues

and ahead you can see um even more

detailed documentation explaining how to

use the tool as well as how to install

nightly builds if you want to try uh

sort of the nightly builds with the

latest fixes and features with the risk

of a little more instability we go over

how to install from our nightly feed as

well

so all of that's here as well as the

ability of course to create new issues

if you have feature requests or if you

run into any problems or you can submit

pull requests we love taking

contributions from the community and uh

it would be great if you get involved

that way

so let's go ahead and actually install

the tool now

upgradeassistant is a.net CLI SDK tool

so you're going to use it from the

command line this is different from some

of our other tooling like the asp.net

incremental migration tooling we'll look

at later that's a visual studio

extension with a GUI inside of vs but

for Upgrade Assistant it's all on the

command line and because it's a CLI tool

you install it using the.net SDK so

you'll run.net

or a.net tool install

uh now we do give a dash G because we

want to install this tool globally not

just for a single project and then you

just give the name of the tool and this

will actually download the package from

uh nougat where it's hosted and install

it as a global.net SDK tool for you

um okay so I get a message the Upgrade

Assistant has been installed with this

version and then you can run it by just

running upgrade Dash assistant it's

worth knowing that as a.net SDK tool you

can also update it uh when new versions

are released by running.net Tool update

again give the dash G and upgrade Dash

assistant or if you need to uninstall it

you can do the same thing with the

uninstall command instead of install

okay so let's go ahead and run the tool

and see what it does

so if we just run Upgrade Assistant by

itself we're going to get some usage

information we're told that a required

command was not provided and we get a

list of the commands that Upgrade

Assistant can run so there's four

primary commands that come built in

first there's the analyze command this

is the one that I talked about earlier

that's going to help you understand what

changes need to be made in your project

to upgrade it to Net 7 or netstandard or

net six uh the analyze command will use

many of the same features that the

upgrade command uses but instead of

being interactive and instead of

actually making changes to your project

the analyze command is just going to

look at your nuget package dependencies

it's going to look at your source code

at some VB specific considerations some

winform specific considerations and it's

going to generate a report listing all

of the things that need to be changed in

order to move from.net framework up

to.net 7. so it's a good way to sort of

understand the work we have ahead of us

we also have the upgrade command this is

sort of the primary command that you'll

be using to actually update a project to

Target a newer version of.net when you

run uh Upgrade Assistant upgrade you

specify either a solution file or a

project file a CS project or vbproj an

Upgrade Assistant will walk us through

step by step the changes that it's

making to get that project upgraded to

Target the latest versions of.net when

you run that you can choose whether you

would like to Target the long-term

support release which currently is.net6

the current release which would be.net 7

or a preview release which very soon

would be.net 8.

and we'll look at both the analyze and

upgrade commands in a lot of detail in

future videos

we do also have the extensions command

and we're not going to spend a lot of

time on this one in the future so I'll

just explain it briefly now if you run

Upgrade Assistant extensions you're able

to install and manage extensions from

nuget so Upgrade Assistant is designed

so that developers can customize Its

Behavior by adding additional upgrade

steps modifying the behavior of current

upgrade steps or Oops I did not uh

we have an error here which is

unexpected

let's instead of just running extensions

let's do it with dash dash help

um

but uh and you can even customize the

way things are working and so you can

see when we run help for the extensions

command you can do Upgrade Assistant

extensions list to list the installed

extensions as well as ADD you can use

remove and so on to add or remove

additional functionality from add-on

nuget packages which either you've

created or other people have created to

extend the functionality of Upgrade

Assistant

I can run you know as an example we can

run Upgrade Assistant extensions list to

see installed extensions

and we'll take a look at what we get

from that

and you can see that right now I have no

additional extensions beyond the default

built-in ones but you can use the create

command to make your own and we might

have a video on how to create extensions

but if you don't get your own you can

use add to use other people's extensions

the other command that's interesting and

upgraded system if I go back to Upgrade

Assistant uh dash dash help or just

Upgrade Assistant is the features

command so this command is used to turn

on and off uh preview features that

we're sort of working on at as

experiments so if I run.net or sorry if

I run upgrade

assistant

features list this is going to list the

different experimental features in this

release of Upgrade Assistant you can see

that we've enabled upgrading for

cross-platform deployment a

solution-wide SDK conversion and an

analyze binaries command so none of

these are turned on right now so none of

these are going to work but by setting

an environment variable UA features I

can enable these and try using these one

in particular that we're going to be

looking at in a future video is the

analyze binaries command it's a very

useful one that can be used to look at

all of the.net apis that you're calling

from your project and whether they're

available on the new version of.net that

you're moving to or not so it's similar

to what the analyze command does but

rather than being a broad overview of

all the things Upgrade Assistant looks

at

it's a very deep analysis of the.net

dependencies that you have and so I

personally like to use both analyze and

analyze binaries and so in order to show

how we would enable that I will set UA

features to analyze binaries if I wanted

more than one of these I could delimit

them with semicolons

and now if I run Upgrade Assistant

features list you will see

in a moment that analyze binaries is set

to true and in fact if I just run

Upgrade Assistant and it lists what

commands I can run you can see that

analyze binaries is provided as one of

the commands now that's available

all right

um so at this point I think we're ready

to dive in and get started which we will

do in the next video but just to recap

to get started with Upgrade Assistant uh

I would recommend going out to either

our GitHub page or to the documentation

on learn.microsoft.com to sort of read

up on how to get started and then you

just need to run a.net tool install Dash

G upgrade Dash assistant to get it

installed and I'll see you back here in

the next video when we start doing some

analysis with the tool

[Music]

thank you