Asking if System.Drawing.Common is supported within ASP.NET

[nt-7]

Question

System.Drawing Namespace - Remarks said that System.Drawing namespace is not supported within Windows services, ASP.NET Core, and ASP.NET.". Meanwhile, that said System.Drawing.Common, ImageSharp, SkiaSharp, and Windows Imaging Components is supported.

So, most of the System.Drawing namespaces aren't supported within ASP.NET.
However, only System.Drawing.Common class is supported, right? Or, is this a documentation error?

From System.Drawing.Common, it seems that System.Drawing.Common also depends on GDI+ graphics api.

Docs Source File

https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet-api-docs/blob/187d891bba9291682e9bf749d3962d66c474f336/includes/drawing.md

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Issue Details

---

Question

System.Drawing Namespace - Remarks said that System.Drawing namespace is not supported within Windows services, ASP.NET Core, and ASP.NET.". Meanwhile, that said System.Drawing.Common, ImageSharp, SkiaSharp, and Windows Imaging Components is supported.

So, most of the System.Drawing namespaces aren't supported within ASP.NET.
However, only System.Drawing.Common class is supported, right? Or, is this a documentation error?

From System.Drawing.Common, it seems that System.Drawing.Common also depends on GDI+ graphics api.

Docs Source File

https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet-api-docs/blob/187d891bba9291682e9bf749d3962d66c474f336/includes/drawing.md

Author:	nt-7
Assignees:	-
Labels:	:watch: Not Triaged, Pri3, area-System.Drawing
Milestone:	-

[ManickaP]

@maryamariyan @michaelgsharp @safern @tarekgh Could you please help answer this question? I, myself, am confused with the remarks note, but I know next to nothing about graphics. It might be worthwhile to improve the note, that's up to your consideration.

[tarekgh]

CC @ericstj

[tarekgh]

@nt-7 please have a look at the comment dotnet/runtime#42499 (comment) which is clarifying why the docs is saying that. Please let me know if still something unclear.

[nt-7]

@tarekgh, thank you for your reply.

I read the Issues comment. But I don't think the comment clarify why the System.Drawing namespace isn't supported, while only System.Drawing.Common is supported.

Because System.Drawing.Common is also related to GDI, I'm guessing that System.Drawing.Common is also not supported. Could you comfirm again?

[tarekgh]

@nt-7 thanks for clarifying your question. The comment is about discouraging using System.Drawing (the old library that was supported only on the Full Framework). System.Drawing.Common should be supported in ASP.NET and ASP.NET Core. System.Drawing.Common is just containing a subset classes which used to be in System.Drawing library. System.Drawing.Common still using gdiplus library.

I agree the comment is confusing as it says System.Drawing namespace while System.Drawing.Common having the same namespace. We should fix/clarify this part in the docs

[tarekgh]

CC @safern

[JeremyKuhne]

System.Drawing.Common isn't recommended for the scenarios mentioned (special Windows versions) as it has a dependency on GDI+ which is only in the full Windows SKUs. On Unix machines there is an additional dependency that needs to be present (LibGdi+) that gives it "GDI+" functionality.

[nt-7]

I appreciate your help! I understand System.Drawing.Common isn't also recommended for Windows.

@JeremyKuhne, I have a question.

In case of Windows, should we use SkiaSharp or ImageSharp?
Or, isn't skiaSharp and ImageSharp recommended as well as System.Drawing in case of Windows?

[JeremyKuhne]

In case of Windows, we use SkiaSharp or ImageSharp?

System.Drawing can't be used on Windows Nano Server (doesn't have GdiPlus.dll or any other GUI for that matter). If you plan to be usable on Nano docker images you can't use System.Drawing. I'm not sure why the other things were listed, @safern will have to clarify if there are other known scenarios where GdiPlus.dll isn't part of Windows (I don't think there is anything beyond Nano).

https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet-docker/blob/main/documentation/scenarios/using-system-drawing-common.md

While the Unix version of System.Drawing can be used everywhere (if LibGdiPlus is installed properly), not all System.Drawing APIs are supported.

System.Drawing isn't very performant, SkiaSharp and ImageSharp are fast, fully modern cross-platform libraries.

Windows Forms is built on System.Drawing- it is totally ok for normal Windows applications. If you want modern performance and features and the ability to be used everywhere without caveats then use SkiaSharp or ImageSharp.

[nt-7]

@JeremyKuhne I intent ASP.NET web application on normal Windows Server (having GUI), neither Nano server nor container.