What is ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core is a high-performance, open-source, cross-platform framework for building modern, cloud-based, internet-connected applications. It's a rewrite of ASP.NET and is designed to run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • Cross-Platform: Develop and run your applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • High Performance: Built from the ground up for speed and efficiency.
  • Unified Web Framework: ASP.NET Core combines MVC (Model-View-Controller) and Web API into a single programming model, making it easier to build robust web applications and services.
  • Modular and Lightweight: Only include the NuGet packages you need, reducing overhead.
  • Dependency Injection Built-in: First-class support for dependency injection simplifies component management and testing.
  • Open Source: Developed in the open on GitHub, with a vibrant community.
  • Modern Tooling: Seamless integration with Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and the .NET CLI.

Common Use Cases:

  • Web Applications
  • Web APIs
  • Real-time applications (e.g., with SignalR)
  • Microservices
  • Cloud-native applications

Why choose ASP.NET Core? It offers a modern, flexible, and performant foundation for virtually any type of web development project.

Getting Started

To start building with ASP.NET Core, you'll need the .NET SDK installed. You can then create new projects using the .NET CLI or your favorite IDE.

Example: A simple "Hello World" application

Here's a minimal example of an ASP.NET Core application:


using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
            .ConfigureWebHostDefaults(webBuilder =>
            {
                webBuilder.Configure(app =>
                {
                    app.Run(async context =>
                    {
                        await context.Response.WriteAsync("Hello, ASP.NET Core!");
                    });
                });
            })
            .Build()
            .Run();
    }
}

This simple application configures a web host that listens for requests and responds with "Hello, ASP.NET Core!".

Next Steps: