dotnet demonstrates how GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio can guide developers through upgrading legacy .NET applications, showcasing a practical workflow from assessment through to execution.

Modernizing Legacy .NET Apps with GitHub Copilot: Step-by-Step Upgrade

Upgrading older .NET applications presents risks: complex dependencies, breaking changes, and uncertainty over build outcomes. This video delivers a hands-on demo using the GitHub Copilot app modernization agent inside Visual Studio, guiding developers through a structured upgrade process.

What You'll Learn

• Assessment: Analyze your legacy .NET codebase to discover technical debt, outdated dependencies, and compatibility issues.
• Planning: Use GitHub Copilot to help map out the migration path, including identifying required changes and dependencies for modern .NET.
• Execution: Execute the migration step by step with Copilot's AI assistance, reducing risk and streamlining code updates.
• Hands-On Workflow: The workflow is demonstrated on an actual .NET project, suitable for developers upgrading from .NET Framework or early .NET Core.

Topics Covered

• Assessing legacy .NET apps for modernization
• Generating an upgrade plan with GitHub Copilot
• Executing the code migration to newer .NET versions
• Using Copilot for code analysis and to identify upgrade challenges
• Leveraging Visual Studio extensions and sample repositories

Resources

• Documentation
• VS Code Extension
• Sample Repository
• Official .NET Blog
• Microsoft Learn: .NET

Community & Support

• Q&A
• Forums
• Docs
• Social: Twitter, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Facebook, TikTok

Presenter: dotnet

For developers seeking a clear, AI-assisted route to modern .NET, this walkthrough provides concrete examples and practical steps.