ASP.NET Core

Table of Content:

- What is ASP.NET Core?

ASP .NET Core is a powerful, cross-platform framework designed for building high-performance web applications on Windows, Linux, and in the cloud. It’s modular by design—built around lightweight NuGet packages—so you only include the features you need.

Businesses turn to ASP .NET Core for its speed, scalability, and flexibility. Whether you're aiming for a more responsive web app, planning to deploy across different operating systems, or leveraging cloud infrastructure, ASP .NET Core provides the modern tools to make it happen.

Whatever your reasons, leveraging the power of ASP .NETCore can help you improve your business. Let's take a look at how ASP .NET core apps and a .NET core development company can help your business.

What is ASP. NET Core?

ASP.NET Core was originally developed by Microsoft as a successor to the highly popular ASP .NETframework that has been around since 2002. However, the open-source community has also played a major role in the development of ASP .NET Core. The first version of ASP .NET Core was released in 2016, and the most recent version, as of the writing of this article, ASP .NET Core 6, was released in 2021.

ASP .NET Core is a cross-platform framework that can be used to build web apps for Windows, Linux, and macOS. The framework is also compatible with a variety of hosting models, such as self-hosting, Azure App Service, and IIS. The primary programming languages of .NET Core are VB.NET and C#.

ASP .NET Core includes a number of features that make it an attractive option for building web applications. These features include:

A unified programming model: ASP .NET Core provides a single programming model that can be used to build web apps, services, and web APIs. This unified programming model makes it easier to learn and use.
Cross-platform compatibility: ASP .NETCore can be used to build web applications that can be deployed to Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Performance: ASP .NET Core is a high-performance framework that is able to take advantage of the latest hardware and software innovations.
Scalability and reliability: ASP .NETCore is designed to be scalable and reliable, making it ideal for building large-scale enterprise web applications.
Flexibility: ASP .NET Core offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to choose the features and libraries that you need for your project.
Open source: ASP .NETCore is an open-source framework that is developed by Microsoft and the community. ASP .NET is already 20 years old so you can count on it being around a lot longer.
Although .NET Core can be used to connect with virtually any database, it has been highly optimized to work exceptionally well with Microsoft SQL Server.

There's also ASP .NETCore MVC. ASP .NET Core MVC is a model-view-controller (MVC) framework for building web apps. MVC is a popular architectural pattern for building web applications. It helps you to structure your code in a way that is easier to maintain and test.

asp.net-core

What is the difference between ASP .NET Core and ASP .NET?

ASP .NET Core is a new framework that has been built from the ground up to be more responsive, scalable, and cross-platform than its predecessor, ASP .NET. In addition, now it’s open-source whereas the original ASP.NET was not.

ASP .NET was first released in 2002 as a way to build dynamic web pages and web applications using the .NET Framework. It was a replacement for ASP (now known as ”Classic ASP”) because ASP was rushed to market in the late 1990s and lacked a lot of needed features.

ASP .NET Core is a new framework that has been built from the ground up to be more responsive, scalable, and cross-platform than its predecessors, ASP .NET and Classic ASP.

What are the benefits of ASP .NET Core?

There are many reasons why you might want to use ASP .NET Core in your business. Perhaps you need to build a web application that is more responsive and scalable than what you can achieve with other frameworks. Or maybe you want to take advantage of the cross-platform capabilities of ASP .NET Core to deploy your web apps to Linux servers. Whatever your reasons, leveraging the power of ASP .NET Core can help you improve your business.

Some of the benefits of using ASP .NET Core include:

The ability to build responsive and scalable web applications
The ability to deploy web applications to Linux servers
A more modular framework that makes it easier to add or remove functionality as needed
A rich set of tools and libraries that can be used to build web applications
Wide industry acceptance, meaning that you will have a larger talent pool that can maintain your applications
If you're new to ASP .NET Core, we recommend checking out the official .NET Core documentation to learn more about the framework and how to get started.

Once you have a basic understanding of how ASP .NET works, you can start thinking about how you can use it to improve your business.

What is ASP .NET Core used for?

There are many ways that you can use ASP .NET to improve your business. Here are just a few examples:

Build responsive and scalable web applications: If you need to build a web app that is responsive and scalable, then ASP .NET Core is a good choice. The framework has been designed with these goals in mind, and it provides the tools and libraries you need to achieve them.
Deploy web applications to Linux servers: With ASP .NET Core apps, you can take advantage of the cross-platform capabilities of the framework to deploy your web applications to Linux servers. This can give you the flexibility to choose the server platform that best suits your needs.
Use a more modular framework: ASP .NET Core is a more modular framework than its predecessor, ASP .NET. This means that you can add or remove functionality as needed, without having to rebuild the entire framework. This can save you time and effort when you need to make changes to your web applications.
Build rich web applications: ASP .NET Core comes with a rich set of tools and libraries that you can use to build web applications. Whether you need to build a simple website or a complex web application, ASP.NET Core has the tools you need to get the job done.
Use ASP .NETCore to Convert Spreadsheets into Business Web Applications.
Legacy system modernization: convert all of your legacy apps to .NET Core Web Apps.

Once you have a basic understanding of how ASP .NET Core works, you can start thinking about how you can use it to improve your business and its processes.

What is needed to develop in ASP .NET Core?

If you want to develop in ASP .NET Core, you will need the following:

The .NET Core SDK: This is a software development kit that includes everything you need to develop ASP .NET Core apps.

A text editor or IDE: This is where you will write your code. We recommend Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio for ASP .NET Core development. It gives you many features such as a debugger that you simply can’t get with a text editor.

A web browser: This is used to view your ASP .NET Core applications. We recommend Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Once you have these tools installed, you are ready to start developing in ASP .NET Core.

Some of the challenges you may face when creating in ASP .NET Core include:

Configuring the development environment: Before you can start developing in ASP .NET Core, you need to configure your web application development environment. This includes installing the .NET Core SDK and setting up a text editor or IDE.

Designing your web application: Like building a building, you need a blueprint beforehand, so you know what to build. If you are not well versed in software design, then you should hire a software design firm.

Creating a web application: Once you have your development environment set up, you can start creating your .NET Core apps. This involves adding code to define the structure and behavior of your application.

Deploying your web application: When you are ready to share your web application with the world, you need to deploy it to a server. This can be done using various methods, such as FTP or using Remote Desktop to transfer it to a Microsoft Azure server.

Managing server resources: Once your web application is deployed, you need to manage the server resources it uses. This includes monitoring the application's performance and ensuring that it is available to users.

Creating in ASP .NET Core can be challenging, but it is also rewarding. Hiring a professional ASP.NET development team can help.

Reasons to migrate your legacy application to ASP .NET Core

If you have an existing ASP .NET application, you might be wondering if it's worth the effort to migrate it to ASP .NET Core. Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider migrating your legacy application:

Performance Improvement: One of the biggest benefits of migrating to ASP .NET Core is the improved performance that you can achieve. The new framework has been designed with performance in mind, and it provides the tools and libraries you need to optimize your application.

Cross-platform compatibility: With ASP .NET Core, you can take advantage of the cross-platform capabilities of the framework to deploy your web applications to Linux servers. This can give you the flexibility to choose the server platform that best suits your needs.

A more modular framework: ASP .NET Core is a more modular framework than its predecessor, ASP .NET. This means that you can add or remove functionality as needed, without having to rebuild the entire framework. This can save you time and effort when you need to make changes to your web applications.

Improved security: ASP .NET Core comes with a number of security improvements that can help you keep your web applications safe. These include improved authentication and authorization, as well as support for encryption and data protection.

Migrating your legacy application to ASP .NET Core can provide many benefits, including improved performance, cross-platform compatibility, and a more modular framework. If you're considering migrating your application, we recommend checking out the official documentation to learn more about the process.

When should you not use ASP .NET Core?

ASP .NET Core is a powerful business software development framework, but it's not the right choice for every project. Here are a few situations where you might want to consider using another framework:

You need to support legacy browsers: If you need to support legacy browsers, then you might want to consider using another framework. ASP .NET Core is designed to work with modern browsers, and it might not work correctly with older browsers.

You need to support legacy operating systems: If you need to support legacy operating systems, then you might want to consider using another framework. ASP .NET Core is designed to work with modern operating systems, and it might not work correctly with older operating systems.

You're building a mobile application: If you're building a mobile web app, then you might want to consider using another framework.ASP .NET Core is designed for web applications, and it might not work correctly with mobile applications.

ASP .NET Core is a powerful web app development framework, but it might not be the right choice for every project. If you're unsure whether ASP .NET Core is the right choice for your project.

Alternatives to ASP .NET include:

PHP: PHP is a popular open-source programming language that can be used for web development but is not as robust as ASP .NET/ SQL Server.

FileMaker Pro: FileMaker Pro is another option for web development. However, since originally it was a desktop development environment only, it wasn’t designed from the ground up like ASP .NET for the web and it suffers from code maintainability problems.

Java: Java is a popular programming language that is used primarily for desktop development.

Python: Python is a popular open-source programming language that can be used for web development and artificial intelligence.

Maximizing the Value of ASP .NET Core Web Applications

Upgrading to ASP .NET Core offers a host of benefits—from enhanced performance and built-in security features to true cross-platform support across Windows, Linux, and macOS. Its modular architecture allows developers to include only what’s needed, keeping applications lightweight and efficient.

Key advantages of ASp .NET Core:

Open-source and free to use
Runs seamlessly across multiple platforms
More modular and maintainable than traditional ASP .NET
Built-in security enhancements for safer applications

If you’re exploring migration options, consider how ASP .NET Core stacks up against other platforms for your specific needs. In most cases, it stands out as the most versatile and future-ready solution for modern web development.

Want to learn more about how ASP .NET Core can elevate your business? Book a call with Keene Systems CEO Lance Keene or download our free eBook, Why ASP .NET Development Services Fuel Business Growth.

This post originally appeared on Keene Systems and has been republished with the author's permission.

How to Leverage ASP.NET Core Web Applications to Improve Your Business