.NET Web Fundamentals – Server‑Side

Overview

Server‑side development in .NET focuses on processing HTTP requests, generating responses, and managing application state. Modern .NET uses the ASP.NET Core framework, which provides a lightweight, modular, and high‑performance stack.

Request Handling

Every HTTP request is represented by an HttpContext instance. The context contains the request, response, user, and routing data.

public async Task InvokeAsync(HttpContext context)
{
    // Custom logic before the next component
    await _next(context);
    // Custom logic after the next component
}

Middleware Pipeline

Middleware components are assembled in Startup.Configure to form a request pipeline.

public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app)
{
    app.UseHttpsRedirection();
    app.UseStaticFiles();
    app.UseRouting();

    app.UseAuthentication();
    app.UseAuthorization();

    app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
    {
        endpoints.MapControllers();
    });
}

ASP.NET Core Basics

ASP.NET Core projects are built around Program.cs and Startup.cs. The minimal‑API style reduces boilerplate.

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddControllers();

var app = builder.Build();
app.MapControllers();
app.Run();

Security Best Practices

• Enforce HTTPS with UseHttpsRedirection and HSTS.
• Validate input using model binding and data annotations.
• Implement authentication with JWT or Identity.
• Use anti‑forgery tokens for state‑changing actions.

Deployment Options

.NET apps can be deployed to:

• Azure App Service
• Docker containers
• Self‑hosted Windows/Linux servers
• Serverless with Azure Functions

Sample Projects

Explore the official GitHub repository for ready‑to‑run examples.