ASP.NET applications are a big part of modern web development. After all, the .NET platform is one of the most popular developer platforms globally for building web applications and web services. If you are curious about .NET development and the evolution of ASP.NET, this blog post will explain what ASP.NET is, how it has changed over time, and the benefits of building apps with it.
What is ASP.NET?
Before explaining ASP.NET, we should quickly cover the .NET platform. .NET is a web development platform composed of several different tools, programming languages, and libraries. Full-stack .NET developers can expect to find the programming languages C#, F#, and Visual Basic included in base .NET. They will also find editors and tools for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Docker.
ASP.NET is a .NET framework that extends the capabilities of base .NET. Developers use .NET frameworks like ASP.NET to gain access to additional components and tools that make web development simpler and more efficient. In the case of ASP.NET, this framework is best used for creating dynamic content-driven websites, web applications, and web services.
A Brief History of ASP.NET
Microsoft first introduced ASP.NET in the early 2000s. It is an open-source .NET framework that runs on Windows. However, Windows is only one of the major computing platforms, and until 2016, developers couldn’t use ASP.NET unless they were writing for the Windows platform.
In 2016, Microsoft released ASP.NET Core, a new version of ASP.NET that runs on all of the major computing platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. ASP.NET Core is still a young .NET framework, but continued updates have made it a stable alternative to Windows-based ASP.NET apps and web services.
Extending The .NET Platform
The ASP.NET framework adds several libraries and tools to the .NET platform. For example, Razor is a web page templating syntax that gives developers the ability to build dynamic web pages using C#. This .NET framework also has an authentication system that includes databases, libraries, and template pages for creating login pages that utilize multi-factor and external authentication.
ASP.NET also adds a base framework that can process web requests made in C# or F# to the .NET platform and libraries that support standard web development patterns like Model View Controller (MVC). The great part about ASP.NET is that it can be used with other tools available in the .NET platform ecosystem.
The Benefits of ASP.NET Applications
ASP.NET is a popular choice among web developers for its many benefits. The benefits of using ASP.NET to build web applications or services include:
- Compiled code
- Open-source
- Flexibility
Compiled Code
Speed is a major component of the User Experience and User Interface. Slow web applications and services drive users away. The modern user expects fast speeds, and applications that fail to live up to expectations are quickly abandoned. ASP.NET applications can be significantly faster and more efficient than other options.
ASP.NET apps have a far greater speed potential than other options because they are compiled. Compiled code is translated into object code and then executed by the .NET platform. Translating the compiled code to object code only happens once, and this process happens very quickly.
On the other hand, interpreted code must be read and interpreted each time it is executed. These extra steps can seriously affect the speed of an application. An example of an interpreted programming language is JavaScript. Compiled code is also far easier to scale and possesses all the same abilities as interpreted code.
Furthermore, since compiled code is translated into object code at one time, it is far simpler to ensure that your code is consistent throughout the web application. Any errors in the code will be highlighted during the compilation process. Since all code is compiled at once, this part of the Quality Assurance process is simplified.
Open-Source
Open-source technologies like ASP.NET are beneficial for two significant reasons. First, open-source technologies are free to use. This helps cut down on the costs of development which can get quite expensive. Plus, since the technology is free, more people can use it and develop improvements for it.
This is the second advantage of using open-source technologies. There is a large support community, including the team at Microsoft that developed ASP.NET, that can offer guidance, documentation, and new ideas. Additionally, people from all over the world can make contributions to open-source technology like ASP.NET.
For example, ASP.NET has had over 100,000 different contributors worldwide and has support from over 3,700 companies.
Flexibility
Flexibility is an asset in web development. ASP.NET is a flexible .NET framework that can build a wide range of different web products. Not only can developers use ASP.NET to build web applications and websites, but they can also use this .NET framework to build microservices, REST APIs, and real-time content hubs. The more jobs you can complete with the same tool, the more efficient your development team can be.
Final Thoughts
ASP.NET extends the .NET platform and gives developers an extra tool for creating world-class web applications and services. If you think that this .NET framework might be the right choice for your next web development project, reach out to an app development partner.
A partner can help you determine which technologies and tools best suit your project with their industry experience and technical expertise. ASP.NET applications have a lot to offer businesses looking to expand their web services.
