What is ASP.NET?

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ASP.NET is Microsoft’s framework to build Web applications. ASP.NET is a part of .NET Framework. ASP.NET and Web Forms are used to build the front end and in the backend, C# langauge is used. ASP.NET runs on a Web Server, IIS.

Advantages of ASP.NET

Separation of Code from HTML

To make a clean sweep, with ASP.NET you have the ability to completely separate layout and business logic. This makes it much easier for teams of programmers and designers to collaborate efficiently.

Support for compiled languages

Developers can use VB.NET and access features such as strong typing and object-oriented programming. Using compiled languages also means that ASP.NET pages do not suffer the performance penalties associated with interpreted code. ASP.NET pages are precompiled to byte-code and Just In Time (JIT) compiled when first requested. Subsequent requests are directed to the fully compiled code, which is cached until the source changes.

Use services provided by the .NET Framework

The .NET Framework provides class libraries that can be used by your application. Some of the key classes help you with input/output, access to operating system services, data access, or even debugging. We will go into more detail on some of them in this module.

Graphical Development Environment

Visual Studio .NET provides a very rich development environment for web developers. You can drag and drop controls and set properties the way you do in Visual Basic 6. And you have full IntelliSense support, not only for your code but also for HTML and XML.

State management

To refer to the problems mentioned before, ASP.NET provides solutions for session and application state management. State information can, for example, be kept in memory or stored in a database. It can be shared across web farms, and state information can be recovered, even if the server fails or the connection breaks down.

Update files while the server is running

Components of your application can be updated while the server is online and clients are connected. The framework will use the new files as soon as they are copied to the application. Removed or old files that are still in use are kept in memory until the clients have finished.

XML-Based Configuration Files

Configuration settings in ASP.NET are stored in XML files that you can easily read and edit. You can also easily copy these to another server, along with the other files that comprise your application.

ASP.NET Overview

Here are some points that give a quick overview of ASP.NET.

  • ASP.NET provides services to allow the creation, deployment, and execution of Web Applications and Web Services.
    Like ASP, ASP.NET is a server-side technology.
  • Web Applications are built using Web Forms. ASP.NET comes with built-in Web Forms controls, which are responsible for generating the user interface. They mirror typical HTML widgets like text boxes or buttons. If these controls do not fit your needs, you are free to create your own user controls.
  • Web Forms are designed to make building web-based applications as easy as building Visual Basic applications.