dotInsights: May 2026 – Navigating the Latest in .NET and Development

Introduction

Welcome to the May 2026 edition of dotInsights, your go-to source for the most relevant updates from the .NET ecosystem and broader software development world. This month, we spotlight a powerful C# feature—ref return and ref local—which enables developers to work directly with variable references instead of copies, boosting performance in critical scenarios. Beyond that, we’ve curated a rich collection of articles and videos covering performance optimization, AI-assisted coding, .NET MAUI, EF Core, and more. Let’s dive in.

Key .NET Features and Performance Tips

C# Ref Returns and Ref Locals

Did you know? C# supports ref return and ref local, allowing you to return references to variables rather than their values. This technique reduces memory allocations and improves performance, especially in high-throughput applications. For example, you can create methods that return references to array elements or fields, enabling direct manipulation without copying. This month’s newsletter highlights the importance of understanding these language features for writing efficient code.

String Performance and Unnecessary Conversions

David McCarter explains how to avoid unnecessary string conversions with StringBuilder. His insights align with a broader theme: optimizing memory and CPU usage in .NET. Similarly, Andrew Lock demonstrates removing byte[] allocations in .NET Framework using ReadOnlySpan<T>, a pattern that modern .NET developers should adopt.

AI-Assisted Coding and Developer Workflow

AI Interrogation vs. Traditional Specs

Gui Ferreira’s talk “Stop Writing Specs. Let AI Interrogate You Instead” challenges traditional documentation approaches. Meanwhile, Nick Chapsas shows how to speed up your AI development workflow by 2x. These pieces underscore the shifting landscape where AI tools become collaborators rather than just assistants.

The Real Cost of AI Tools

David Cassel addresses a critical concern: “I started to lose my ability to code”: Developers grapple with the real cost of AI programming tools. This article from the community raises important questions about skill erosion. Addy Osmani’s “Comprehension Debt: The Hidden Cost of AI-Generated Code” further explores the long-term impact on code maintainability.

Entity Framework Core and Data Access

Efficient Bulk Operations

Chris Woodruff provides a practical guide on how to delete and update millions of rows in EF Core without loading a single entity. This technique is invaluable for large-scale applications where performance matters.

Query Filters and Query Translation

David Grace explains why your Entity Framework Core app needs query filters for soft deletes and multi-tenancy. Ali Hamza Ansari delves into EF Core query translation: Why does some LINQ never become SQL?—a must-read for developers facing translation pitfalls.

.NET MAUI and Cross-Platform Development

Animations and Custom Controls

Leomaris Reyes teaches how to build an Instagram-style like animation in .NET MAUI, while Héctor Pérez demonstrates how to get started with the .NET MAUI Speech-to-Text Button Control. These tutorials highlight the growing maturity of MAUI for rich user experiences.

Community Highlights and Tools

Interesting Links from the Community

• “2code ^ !2code [S2026E06] Inspector Roslyn is a CLI tool” – FlashOWare by Stefan Pölz and Eva Ditzelmüller
• “Building an Instagram-Style Like Animation in .NET MAUI” – Leomaris Reyes
• “Removing byte[] allocations in .NET Framework using ReadOnlySpan<T>” – Andrew Lock
• “Source code generated string enums with exhaustion support” – Steven Giesel
• “How to Delete and Update Millions of Rows in EF Core Without Loading a Single Entity” – Chris Woodruff
• “The Cookie Apocalypse Already Happened” – Khalid Abuhakmeh
• “Does Code Quality Still Matter in the Age of AI-Assisted Coding?” – Mark Heath
• “URL Pattern Matching in .NET” – Gérald Barré
• “Build QR Codes in .NET FAST with ElBruno.QRCodeGenerator” – Bruno Capuano
• “What Your .NET Exceptions Are Telling Attackers (And How to Stop It)” – Adrian Bailador
• “Extracting Structured Table Data from DOCX Word Documents in C# .NET with Domain-Aware Table Detection” – Bjoern Meyer
• “Explore union types in C# 15” – Bill Wagner
• “The Toolkit Pattern” – Andrew Stellman
• “Systems Thinking” – Rocky Lhotka
• “Mastering ASP.NET Core Rate Limiting: From Basic Throttling to Distributed Token Buckets” – Sudhir Mangla
• “Agent Skills in .NET: Three Ways to Author, One Provider to Run Them” – Sergey Menshykh
• “LLM Chat in .NET with IChatClient: The Complete Guide” – Patrick Smacchia
• “Microsoft Agent Framework–Building a multi-agent workflow with DevUI in .NET” – Bart Wullems
• “How to Implement Command Pattern in C#: Step-by-Step Guide” – Nick Cosentino

JetBrains News

Stay tuned for updates from JetBrains. This month, we are excited to announce new features in Rider and ReSharper that enhance AI-powered code suggestions and refactoring. The JetBrains team continues to invest in developer productivity tools that integrate seamlessly with modern workflows. For the latest, follow JetBrains.

Conclusion

The May 2026 dotInsights newsletter showcases the vibrancy of the .NET community—from low-level performance hacks to high-level architecture patterns. As AI reshapes how we code, staying informed and critical is more important than ever. Dive into the linked resources, experiment with ref returns, and join the conversation.