Get Started with ASP.NET

Welcome to the World of ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a powerful, open-source framework for building modern, web-connected applications and services with .NET. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to begin your journey with ASP.NET, covering setup, fundamental concepts, and your first application.

Whether you're building dynamic websites, robust APIs, or real-time applications, ASP.NET provides the tools and flexibility you need.

1. Prerequisites and Setup

Before diving in, ensure you have the necessary tools installed. This includes the .NET SDK and your preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Visual Studio or VS Code.

Install .NET SDK

2. Understanding Core Concepts

Familiarize yourself with key ASP.NET concepts such as MVC (Model-View-Controller), Razor Pages, routing, middleware, dependency injection, and data handling.

Learn Core Concepts

3. Creating Your First Application

Let's build a simple "Hello, World!" web application. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to create, run, and understand the basic structure of an ASP.NET project.

Build Your First App

4. Development Workflow

Discover best practices for developing ASP.NET applications, including project structure, file organization, and common development patterns.

Explore Workflow

5. Running and Debugging

Learn how to launch your ASP.NET application locally, use the debugger to identify and fix issues, and understand the development server.

Run & Debug

6. Next Steps & Resources

Once you've got the basics down, explore more advanced topics like data access, authentication, authorization, and deployment.

Explore Further

Key Frameworks within ASP.NET

ASP.NET is an umbrella term for several powerful frameworks. The most common ones to start with are:

ASP.NET Core: The modern, cross-platform, high-performance, open-source framework for building internet-connected applications.
ASP.NET Web Forms: A classic framework (part of .NET Framework) for building dynamic websites using a component-based model. (Primarily for maintaining existing applications).
ASP.NET MVC: A pattern for building dynamic sites that combines the speed, underlying .NET infrastructure, and the power of the .NET Framework.

For new development, ASP.NET Core is highly recommended.