Introduction to ASP.NET: Building Dynamic Web Applications
Get started with ASP.NET, a powerful web framework for building dynamic websites and web applications. This introduction covers ASP.NET's core features, its development models (Web Forms, MVC, Web API), and its integration with other web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
Introduction to ASP.NET
What is ASP.NET?
ASP.NET is a web framework created by Microsoft for building dynamic websites, web applications, and web services. It offers a robust platform that integrates seamlessly with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. First introduced in January 2002 and built on the Common Language Runtime (CLR), ASP.NET allows developers to use various .NET-compatible programming languages (C#, VB.NET, etc.).
ASP.NET Framework Components
(A diagram illustrating the .NET framework components and their relationship to ASP.NET would be included here.)
ASP.NET Versions and Features
| Date | Version | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| January 16, 2002 | 1.0 | Object-oriented web application development. |
| April 24, 2003 | 1.1 | Mobile controls, automatic input validation. |
| November 7, 2005 | 2.0 | New data controls, master pages, login controls, themes, web parts, personalization. |
| November 21, 2006 | 3.0 | Integration with WPF, WF, WCF, and Windows CardSpace. |
| November 19, 2007 | 3.5 | New data controls, ASP.NET AJAX, HTTP pipelining support. |
| August 11, 2008 | 3.5 SP1 | ASP.NET Dynamic Data, improved AJAX browser history control. |
| April 12, 2010 | 4.0 | New MetaKeyword and MetaDescription properties in the Page class. |
| August 15, 2012 | 4.5 | (Further details on 4.5 features would be added here.) |
| October 17, 2013 | 4.5.1 | Bootstrap 3.0, Web API 2 improvements, MVC 5 improvements, EF 6, SignalR, OWIN. |
| May 5, 2014 | 4.5.2 | Improved HTTP header handling, asynchronous task scheduling. |
| July 20, 2015 | 4.6 | HTTP/2 support, more asynchronous APIs. |
ASP.NET Development Models
ASP.NET offers three main development models:
1. Web Forms
An event-driven model for rapid application development using server-side controls.
2. ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller)
A pattern-based approach emphasizing separation of concerns and greater control over HTML markup.
3. ASP.NET Web Pages
A simpler, lightweight approach for combining server code and HTML in a single file.
| Model | Skills | Development Style | Experience Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Forms | Win Forms, WPF, .NET | Rapid development | Mid-Level, Advanced |
| MVC | Ruby on Rails, .NET | Clean separation of concerns | Mid-Level, Advanced |
| Web Pages | Classic ASP, PHP | Simple code-HTML integration | Beginner, Mid-Level |