ASP.NET Core MVC: Getting Started

Build your first web application with Model-View-Controller.

Welcome to ASP.NET Core MVC

This tutorial will guide you through the fundamental concepts of building a web application using ASP.NET Core MVC. We'll cover the core components of the MVC pattern and show you how to create controllers, views, and models.

What is MVC?

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern separates an application into three interconnected components:

  • Model: Represents the data and the business logic of the application.
  • View: Responsible for presenting the data to the user, typically through HTML.
  • Controller: Handles user input, interacts with the Model, and selects the appropriate View to render.

Let's Get Started

Follow these steps to create your first ASP.NET Core MVC application.

1

Install .NET SDK

Ensure you have the latest .NET SDK installed. You can download it from the official .NET website.

2

Create a New Project

Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to create a new MVC project:

dotnet new mvc -o MyFirstMvcApp
cd MyFirstMvcApp

This command creates a new directory named MyFirstMvcApp and sets up a basic ASP.NET Core MVC project structure.

3

Run the Application

Navigate to your project directory and run the application:

dotnet run

Open your web browser and go to https://localhost:5001 (or the port specified in your terminal) to see your running application.

4

Explore the Project Structure

Familiarize yourself with the generated files and folders:

  • Controllers: Contains your controller classes (e.g., HomeController.cs).
  • Views: Contains your view files (.cshtml files), often organized into folders for each controller.
  • Models: For your application's data models.
  • wwwroot: Contains static files like CSS, JavaScript, and images.
  • Startup.cs: Configures the application's request pipeline and services.

Key Concepts

Understanding these core concepts will help you build more complex applications:

Routing

ASP.NET Core MVC uses a routing system to map incoming HTTP requests to specific controller actions. The default route is usually defined in Startup.cs:

app.MapControllerRoute(
    name: "default",
    pattern: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}");

This means a request like /Products/Details/123 will look for the Details action in the ProductsController with an ID of 123.

Controllers and Actions

Controllers are C# classes that inherit from Controller. Actions are public methods within a controller that handle specific requests.

// Controllers/HomeController.cs
                public class HomeController : Controller
                {
                    public IActionResult Index()
                    {
                        return View(); // Renders the Index.cshtml view
                    }

                    public IActionResult About()
                    {
                        ViewBag.Message = "Your application description page.";
                        return View(); // Renders the About.cshtml view
                    }
                }

Views

Views are typically Razor files (.cshtml) that contain HTML markup mixed with C# code for dynamic content.

// Views/Home/Index.cshtml
                @{
                    ViewData["Title"] = "Home Page";
                }

                

                    
ASP.NET Core MVC

                    
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Getting started

                        

                            ASP.NET Core is an open-source framework for building web applications, IoT apps, and mobile backends.
                        

                    

                    

                        
Build apps that run anywhere

                        

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                            An agile, open-source, and community-focused framework for building modern web applications.

Models

Models represent your data. They can be simple C# classes.

// Models/Product.cs
                public class Product
                {
                    public int Id { get; set; }
                    public string Name { get; set; }
                    public decimal Price { get; set; }
                }

Next Steps

You've successfully created and run your first ASP.NET Core MVC application. Now, you can:

  • Create more controllers and actions.
  • Define models and connect them to your views.
  • Learn about data binding and validation.
  • Explore Razor syntax and Tag Helpers.
  • Integrate with databases using Entity Framework Core.

Continue your learning journey on the official ASP.NET Core documentation.

View Advanced Tutorials