Intro to Core WCF In 10 Minutes or Less
When Microsoft transitioned from the .NET Framework to .NET Core, one major component didn’t make the jump: Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). For years, WCF was the go-to solution for building connected systems, powering everything from internal enterprise tools to large-scale web applications.
In his short but insightful video, "Intro to Core WCF in 10 Minutes or Less," Tim Corey walks us through what the Core WCF project is, why it exists, and how developers can start using it. In this article, we’ll explore Tim’s explanation step by step.
Why Core WCF Exists
Tim opens by reminding viewers that when Microsoft moved to .NET Core, they left WCF behind. That meant developers using WCF services on older .NET Framework versions had no direct upgrade path to .NET Core.
However, the developer community stepped up. As Tim explains,
“Now the community has brought WCF into .NET Core.”
This community-driven project, now hosted as a .NET Foundation project, is called Core WCF. It’s essentially the reimplementation of Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) to make it work in modern .NET Core and newer .NET versions.
Core WCF is Not for New Projects
Before diving into the demo, Tim pauses to clarify something critical. He says:
“This really isn’t designed for new projects.”
Core WCF isn’t a shiny new communication framework for greenfield apps. Instead, it exists to help teams with existing WCF services move into the modern .NET Core environment.
If you’re starting a new service-based application, Tim advises you to look at gRPC instead — a framework that Microsoft now recommends for new development. In fact, he mentions that he has another video introducing gRPC, explaining what it is and how to use it.
So, Core WCF is meant for migration, not for brand-new ASP.NET Core projects.
Who Core WCF Is For
Tim explains that Core WCF’s main goal is to help organizations modernize existing WCF applications written in .NET Framework. Many enterprises still depend on WCF projects running in production — for example, internal systems that use service contracts, SOAP, and WSDL generation.
He explains that gRPC, while powerful, didn’t fully replace all common WCF scenarios, which left many developers unable to move off the old platform. Core WCF now solves that issue.
“The goal is to enable existing WCF services to move to .NET Core.”
So, if you have a WCF project running on the full framework, you can now migrate it — reusing your existing service contracts, client proxies, and project files — with only some configuration changes.
Overview of the Core WCF Project Page
Tim then shows the Core WCF GitHub page, which contains everything developers need to get started. He encourages viewers to explore it and mentions:
“This is a great place to start — not only do you have step-by-step walkthroughs on how to create a service and reference from client projects, but you also even have new templates you can install into Visual Studio.”
These CoreWCF project templates make it much easier to build a Core WCF service or WCF client using the new .NET SDK-style project file format.
The page also explains how to handle NuGet package references, configuration files, and service addresses, helping developers move from the old XML config files of the .NET Framework to the middleware pattern used in .NET Core.
Why New Templates Exist
At this point, Tim addresses a common question — if Core WCF is not for new projects, why create new CoreWCF project templates?
He explains that one of the upgrade strategies for moving from .NET Framework WCF to .NET Core is to create a new CoreWCF project and then migrate your code (service logic, interfaces, and configuration) into it.
“One of the strategies for upgrading to the .NET Core version of WCF is to create a new template and then move the code over.”
This helps developers restructure their applications to use the .NET Core SDK-style projects and update their NuGet packages instead of old assembly references.
So, the new templates in Visual Studio or via the dotnet command line tool are not for brand-new systems — they’re there to assist the migration process of your existing WCF applications.
Version Updates and Stability
Tim then talks about versioning. As of his recording, Core WCF version 1.1 had just been released — following version 1.0 in April.
He notes that version 1.1 came out only a week earlier (at the end of June), showing that Core WCF is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly stable.
“This is really only for people who need the Core upgrade, but if you do, this is a really great day.”
This statement underlines that Core WCF is now mature enough to be used safely in production environments, giving confidence to organizations ready to start their migration process.
A Microsoft-Supported Community Tool
Although Core WCF started as a community project, Tim highlights that it’s officially supported by Microsoft.
“It is starting to become stable. It is supported by Microsoft — just so you know.”
This makes Core WCF both reliable and future-proof. It means that if you move your WCF service to Core WCF, you’re not betting on an abandoned or experimental project — it’s a Microsoft-backed, community-maintained solution under the .NET Foundation umbrella.
A Step Toward Modern .NET
As Tim summarizes, Core WCF gives developers a path to the modern .NET Core runtime. You can now keep your WCF functionality — such as SOAP services, client proxies, and service contracts — while enjoying all the advantages of .NET Core, like cross-platform support, faster performance, and a unified runtime for future .NET versions.
“This is something that will help you move into the modern .NET Core.”
In other words, Core WCF doesn’t reinvent WCF — it extends its lifespan.
Final Thoughts and Community Involvement
Tim ends the video by encouraging viewers to visit the Core WCF GitHub page, read the documentation, and try out the templates.
He also invites developers to submit their questions or feature requests through his feedback site — so he can create more short training videos on topics like this one.
Conclusion: Core WCF as a Bridge to Modern .NET
In under five minutes, Tim Corey clearly explains that Core WCF is a lifeline for existing WCF applications. It’s not for brand-new services — it’s for teams maintaining legacy .NET Framework WCF projects who want to modernize and take advantage of .NET Core without rewriting everything from scratch.
This Core WCF tutorial shows that the migration path is finally here: with Visual Studio templates, NuGet package references, and Microsoft-supported tooling, developers can safely bring their WCF services into the new era of .NET development.
