Introduction to ASP.NET Core

Your comprehensive guide to building modern web applications with ASP.NET Core.

Welcome to ASP.NET Core

ASP.NET Core is a free, open-source, cross-platform framework for building modern, cloud-enabled, internet-connected applications. Applications built with ASP.NET Core can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

This documentation provides a comprehensive overview and detailed guidance for developers looking to leverage ASP.NET Core for their web development needs. Whether you're building APIs, web applications, or real-time services, ASP.NET Core offers a robust and performant foundation.

Key Features of ASP.NET Core

Cross-Platform Development: Build and run your applications on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
High Performance: ASP.NET Core is designed for speed and efficiency, making it one of the fastest web frameworks available.
Unified MVC and Web API: A single programming model for building web UIs and HTTP services.
Dependency Injection: Built-in support for dependency injection makes your code more modular and testable.
Modern Tooling: Seamless integration with Visual Studio, VS Code, and other development tools.
Open Source: Contribute to the future of ASP.NET Core by participating in the community.

Getting Started

To begin your journey with ASP.NET Core, you'll need to set up your development environment. This typically involves installing the .NET SDK.

Installing the .NET SDK

Download and install the latest .NET SDK from the official .NET website:

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download

Your First ASP.NET Core Application

Once the SDK is installed, you can create a new project using the .NET CLI:

dotnet new webapp -o MyWebApp
cd MyWebApp
dotnet run

This will create a simple web application project and run it locally. You can then navigate to the provided URL in your browser to see your application in action.

Common Concepts

Understanding core concepts is crucial for effective development:

Middleware: Components that process HTTP requests and responses in a pipeline.
Hosting: How your ASP.NET Core application is hosted and configured.
Configuration: Managing application settings from various sources.
Routing: Mapping incoming requests to the appropriate handlers.

For detailed API reference and advanced topics, please refer to the dedicated sections in our documentation.

Further Learning

This introduction provides a high-level overview. Dive deeper into specific areas:

ASP.NET Core MVC for building server-rendered applications.
ASP.NET Core API Reference for detailed information on classes and methods.
Explore Blazor for building interactive client-side web UIs with C#.

MSDN Documentation