difference between NETStandard.Library and Microsoft.NETCore.App?

Question

I wanted to know the difference between the NETStandard.Library package and the Microsoft.NETCore.App package. I tried to look up documentation but it's all very broad or they sound very similar saying both packages are a set of .NET API's. Is there a difference in the runtimes they can operate on (like Microsoft.NETCore.App is compatible with .netcore but not .netstandard)?

Answer 1

Microsoft.NETCore.App is the actual implementation of .NET Core runtime, and NETStandard.Library is the actual implementation of .NET Standard.

Their relationship has been fully documented by Microsoft in multiple locations, such as

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2017/september/net-standard-demystifying-net-core-and-net-standard
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/net-standard

Answer 2

hi @displayname

basically,

Microsoft.NETCore.App metapackage contains the .NET Core runtime and supporting managed libraries.
Note that this metapackage has a reference to NETStandard.Library, and contains all other packages required to run a .NET Core app.

NETStandard.Library metapackage references a set of packages that define the .NET Standard library.
".NET Standard is a formal specification of .NET APIs that are available on multiple .NET implementations. The motivation behind .NET Standard was to establish greater uniformity in the .NET ecosystem.", Used ofter as class library compatible with .NETCore .NETFramework and Xamarin