How to Get Started with .NET: A Beginner’s Roadmap

Step 1: Install the Right Tools

🔹 Download & Install .NET SDK (Download .NET SDK)
🔹 Install Visual Studio (Download Visual Studio 2022 )

Pro Tip: Use the dotnet --version command in CMD to check if .NET is installed.

Step 2: Learn the Basics of C#

.NET applications are mostly written in C#, so start with:

• Variables and Data types

• Loops and conditions

• Functions and OOPs

Recommended Resources:

• C# Official Documentation

Step 3: Build Your First .NET App

// C# Console Application
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!");
    }
}

Step 5: Learn SQL for .NET Development

Why SQL?

Most .NET applications store data in a database, and SQL helps you manage it!

SQL Basics You Need to Know

• CRUD Operations – SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE

• Joins – INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN

• Stored Procedures & Functions

• Indexes & Performance Optimization

Next Step: Install SQL Server and connect it with .NET using Entity Framework Core!

Step 6: Learn Entity Framework (EF) Core

What is EF Core?
EF Core is an ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that lets you interact with the database using C# objects instead of writing SQL queries.

Key Concepts to Learn:

• DbContext & DbSet (How to define & manage databases)

• Migrations (How to update the database without losing data)

• LINQ Queries (Write queries using C# instead of SQL)

• CRUD Operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)

Step 7: Learn ASP.NET Core (Building a Web API)

What is ASP.NET Core?
ASP.NET Core is a cross-platform framework for building web applications & APIs.

Key Concepts to Learn:

• Routing & Controllers

• Dependency Injection

• Middleware

• Authentication & Authorization (JWT, Identity)

Step 8: Learn ASP.NET Core MVC

What is MVC?
MVC (Model-View-Controller) is a design pattern that separates logic, UI, and data for better structure and scalability.

Key Concepts to Learn:

• Models (Data & EF Core)

• Views (UI with Razor Syntax & HTML)

• Controllers (Handling Requests & Responses)

Creating an ASP.NET Core MVC Project

Step 9: Learn Angular (Frontend Framework)

Why Angular?
Angular is a powerful TypeScript-based frontend framework for building single-page applications (SPAs).

Key Concepts to Learn:

• Components & Modules

• Services & HTTP Requests

• Routing & Navigation

• Data Binding & Forms

Getting Started with Angular

Step 10: Learn Docker Basics

What is Docker?
Docker allows you to package your .NET app + dependencies into a container, so it runs the same everywhere (local, server, cloud).

Key Docker Concepts to Learn

• Docker Images & Containers

• Dockerfile (How to create a container)

• Docker Compose (Multiple containers in one app)

Volume & Networking

Create a Simple Docker Container for .NET

Step 11: Learn Azure Fundamentals

What is Azure?
Azure is a cloud platform where you can deploy, manage, and scale applications globally.

Key Azure Services to Learn

• Azure App Service → Deploy .NET apps easily

• Azure Container Registry (ACR) → Store Docker images

• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) → Manage Docker containers at scale

• Azure SQL Database → Cloud-hosted SQL database

• Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) → Host applications in the cloud

Step 12: Create an ASP.NET Core MVC Project

Student Attendance System

Tech Stack: ASP.NET Core MVC, EF Core, SQL Server
Features:

• Register students

• Mark attendance

• View daily/weekly reports