Microsoft unveils updated Aspire 13.5
Microsoft released Aspire 13.5 last week, updating its application development framework with a refreshed developer dashboard and workflow improvements.
The dashboard gets a visual refresh
The most noticeable change is a redesigned dashboard. Microsoft described it as “a new coat of paint” while preserving the familiar layout and features. Accessibility checks were included to ensure the design works for all users.
Smaller updates address long-standing developer requests. Logs and traces can now be filtered by timestamp or exact numeric values. Console log searches no longer require case sensitivity. When connections drop, the dashboard reconnects more smoothly. Health-check failures display clearer messages instead of raw exception stacks.
New ways to interact with applications
The Interaction Service, which allows resources to request input or show notifications, now supports file imports. Developers can open a file picker for JSON or YAML, set size limits, and pass files directly to the AppHost. This eliminates the need to manually place files in a directory before running scripts.
Longer tasks can show a progress dialog with an optional cancel button. Commands may also declare named arguments, which appear as input controls in the dashboard and as options in the command-line interface. The changes simplify setup and import processes.
A new terminal feature lets resources include an interactive session. Adding WithTerminal() enables shells, REPLs, and other tools requiring real-time input and output. Users can type commands, switch between replicas, and return to console logs without stopping the session. Multiple users can attach to the same process simultaneously. This feature remains experimental.
TypeScript AppHosts are now fully available without requiring an experimental opt-in. The Interaction Service, file uploads, and progress dialogs function identically in both C# and TypeScript. Custom health checks and container file copying were also added to the TypeScript model. Project and executable resources can now receive HTTPS developer certificates directly from the AppHost, though those APIs are still experimental.
Related: Is Four Years of College Becoming Obsolete in the Age of AI and Startup Culture?
The updates focus on making the tool more adaptable for developers working across different languages and environments. Rather than introducing new concepts, the changes refine existing ones to reduce daily friction.
Deployment and resource management updates
Aspire 13.5 adds persistent volumes for Kubernetes workloads. Applications can configure storage class, capacity, and access mode before binding the volume to a project or container. The framework then generates the persistent volume claim and renders the workload.
New methods allow referencing existing Azure resources across resource groups, subscriptions, and tenants. This keeps environment details out of the AppHost source while maintaining deployment intent in the model.
The command-line interface can now be installed and updated through package managers like Homebrew, WinGet, npm, Nix, mise, and NuGet. The classic media player isn’t the only software benefiting from quiet updates—developers now have more options for managing installations.
The Visual Studio Code extension was rebranded to Aspire and expanded. Users can open the dashboard in a side panel. The extension also supports Bun and MAUI debugging and shows resource commands directly in the tree view.
Breaking changes and removals
The update includes several breaking changes. The ServiceProvider property was renamed to Services. The GitHub Models integration was deprecated. The dashboard’s AI Assistant chat feature was also removed.
Microsoft published a full migration guide and change list on its What’s New in Aspire 13.5 page.
