ASP.NET Core: A Beginners Guide

What is ASP.NET Core, and why has it become the framework of choice for countless developers worldwide?

For those unfamiliar with it, ASP.NET Core is a web framework developed by Microsoft. Its inception is to accommodate the growing needs of modern-day developers. At its heart, it's an open-source and cross-platform framework aimed at creating dynamic, scalable, and performance-driven web applications.

Features of ASP.NET Core:

ASP.NET Core is a Modular framework:

With ASP.NET Core, Microsoft presents a modern approach. Developers benefit from a platform that offers both flexibility and simplicity. If you're familiar with its predecessor, you'll find the transition to ASP.NET Core intuitive. When we compare ASP.NET vs ASP.NET Core, the latter's advantage in terms of cross-platform capabilities and modularity is apparent.

Simplicity and Flexibility of ASP.NET Core:

ASP.NET Core is designed to be a modular framework, with many feature or component available as a separate NuGet package. This allows developers to easily include or exclude features as needed, creating a tailored and efficient project.

Error Handling in ASP.NET Core:

ASP.NET Core provides robust error-handling capabilities to help developers create reliable and resilient applications. Errors are classified into multiple categories, such as runtime, compile-time, and configuration errors. Developers can catch and manage errors using try-catch blocks, custom error pages, and middleware. Custom middleware can be created to capture and process exceptions more granularly.

The built-in error pages in ASP.NET Core provide helpful information to users and allow developers to handle errors gracefully. Additionally, developers can use the error handling features in combination with logging and debugging tools to diagnose and resolve issues quickly.

Logging frameworks like Serilog or NLog can be integrated with ASP.NET Core for detailed error tracking and reporting.

ASP.NET Core has Cloud-optimized runtime:

ASP.NET Core is optimized for cloud deployment, providing a lightweight and efficient runtime that is well-suited for cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure.

ASP.NET Core is Cross-platform:

ASP.NET Core allows developers to build and run cross-platform applications on Windows, Mac, and Linux, using the same codebase. This provides greater flexibility in terms of development environments and deployment targets and allows for easier collaboration between developers on different platforms.

ASP.NET Core is Open-source and community-focused:

ASP.NET Core is open-source and community-focused, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and contributions from the developer community. This has led to a rich ecosystem of tools and libraries, and a vibrant community of developers who can provide support and feedback.

ASP.NET Core Dependency Injection:

ASP.NET Core provides built-in support for dependency injection, making it easier for developers to create loosely coupled and testable code. This allows for greater flexibility in how applications are structured and maintained and helps to ensure that components are easily replaceable and reusable.

EF Core:

With ASP.NET Core, Microsoft presents a modern approach. Developers benefit from a A database access tool that lets developers work with data using .NET objects. Simplifies CRUD operations without needing to write SQL.

ASP.NET Core Razor Pages:

With ASP.NET Core, Microsoft presents a modern approach. Developers benefit from a A template engine for creating dynamic web pages. Uses a mix of C# and HTML to generate HTML content.

ASP.NET Core MVC:

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern separates concerns into models, views, and controllers. ASP.NET Core MVC provides a framework to implement this pattern for web apps.

• Models hold the data and business logic
• Views, built with the Razor syntax, display the UI
• Controllers handle requests and populate models

Routing maps URL patterns to controllers and actions. MVC provides a clean way to organize complex web application logic and UI.

ASP.NET Core Web API

Alongside MVC, ASP.NET Core provides a unified Web API framework for building HTTP services. A Web API can be consumed by a wide variety of clients including browsers, mobiles, and IoT devices.

• Define routes, controllers, and actions
• Return JSON, XML, or other data formats
• Configure serialization and binding
• Leverage dependency injection

ASP.NET Core Web API framework handles the heavy lifting so you can efficiently develop HTTP-based services.

ASP.NET Core Identity:

A membership system to add login functionality. Helps with user registration, authentication, and authorization. It works seamlessly with the framework, ensuring developers don’t need third-party plugins.

As managing users, authentication and authorization a common needs for most web applications. ASP.NET Core Identity provides a full-featured membership system and roles provider.

• Manage users, passwords, profiles, roles, claims
• Plug into external authentication providers
• Enforce authorization rules and policies
• Securely store user accounts and data

The built-in Identity system handles the complexity so you can focus on your app's core functionality.