What is ASP.NET?

What is ASP.NET?

ASP.NET is an open source framework that programmers can use to build dynamic websites, applications, games, and online services with the .NET platform. In ASP.NET, programmers create web forms that become the building blocks of the largest website or application they work to create.

Although ASP.NET is not as widely used as PHP, the most ubiquitous of the programming languages ​​used to create websites, it offers distinct advantages to website designers who make it a wise choice for many websites.

10 advantages of using ASP.NET

ASP.NET is not for everyone, which is why it has a much smaller market share than PHP. But the benefits of using ASP.NET to build your website or app are substantial enough to make it worth it. Here are ten main reasons to consider using ASP.NET.

1. It’s open source.
As an open source framework, any developer or programmer can make changes to the ASP.NET architecture to make it work the way they want. And often, developers will share any updates or improvements they bring with the wider community, so you can benefit from the work done by a large number of talented and knowledgeable ASP.NET programmers.

Any open source software or program benefits from all the great minds that use it. Any programmer who sees a way to make it more flexible, secure, or feature-rich can contribute. With more than 60,000 active contributors, you can count on ASP.NET to keep improving.

2. It is known to be at high speed.
ASP.NET makes building a site easier while using less code than other programming options. With less code to process, websites and applications load faster and more efficiently.

ASP.NET packages also use compiled code rather than interpreted code. The compiled code is translated once into object code and then executed. And each time after that, it charges faster. On the other hand, the interpreted code must be read and interpreted each time a user accesses it, which slows things down.

Although you always have options to speed up your website, no matter what you build it with, ASP.NET means that you start with a website that will work and load much faster than with other options than you might to choose.

3. It is inexpensive.
In addition to being open source, ASP.NET is also free. You can download the latest version of the software from the website for free. You can write ASP.NET code in any simple text editor, including free options like Microsoft’s Visual Studio application.

asp.net text editor
In some cases, like with Visual Studio, the most useful text editors have a free basic plan that you can use to get started, and paid versions that provide more useful features for common large business needs, such as options. of collaboration. You may end up spending money to take full advantage of it, but low-budget businesses can use ASP.NET for free.

4. It is relatively easy to use.
While PHP has a reputation for being easier to use, ASP.NET also has many features that make it intuitive for programmers or reduce the amount of work required to build a website or application. For one thing, programming with ASP.NET requires creating less code than most other options. This means less time spent working on code for developers, and your pages will load faster, as it takes less time to process the code there.

On the other hand, it offers a code mode behind, which separates the design and the code. This creates separate files for the design part of a page and the code part of a page. This makes it easier to test and change as you go without spoiling anything.

Finally, ASP.NET allows template-based page development and server-side caching, which means you can advance the design elements you create and easily reuse them for different parts of the website or website. ‘application.

Although ASP.NET is primarily a resource for professional developers rather than beginners, they have a range of free resources available for those who want to learn the strings.

5. It has a large developer community.
Although ASP.NET is relatively easy to use, many website owners will want to hire a professional developer to help them develop a website or application. Fortunately, the ASP.NET community is large enough that recruiting a qualified developer with experience using the framework is not a problem in most cases.

And having a large community also means that as open source software, there are more intelligent minds working regularly to improve ASP.NET. Many of the problems encountered in the past have been fixed, and anything that you don’t like today could be fixed in the months or years to come.

6. It requires less configuration for Windows users.
If your company already uses Windows products, choosing a Windows framework to build your website or application will make your team’s overall process easier. As it is created by Windows, ASP.NET works seamlessly with other Windows applications. Getting your different products to play well together and work in tandem will be simple.

And you won’t have to worry about an update to ASP.NET or any of your other Windows applications that spoil compatibility. Windows will make sure that the updated versions of its various products and applications always work well together, even if they all evolve over time.

7. It supports multiple languages.
Programmers using ASP.NET have two different programming languages ​​from which they can choose: C # and VB.net.

C # in particular is a popular option with many developers because it is powerful, flexible, and easy to learn. It is one of the most popular programming languages ​​today and is known to be particularly well suited for creating Microsoft applications, games and mobile development.

8. It is now compatible with all servers.
Some articles on ASP.NET list one of the main disadvantages of the fact that it only works with Windows servers. In fact, several years ago Windows released ASP.NET Core which made the program compatible with all types of servers – Linux, MacOS and Windows.

asp.net compatible with macos windows and linux
Although it still works best with a Windows server, since it was originally designed with this compatibility in mind, you can use ASP.NET no matter what type of Web server you prefer.

9. It is supported by Microsoft.
Microsoft is one of the largest and most powerful technology companies in the world. Any product that has its support can count on regular maintenance, updates and improvements. With some free products, there is always the risk that their creators will stop supporting them and that anyone dependent on them will have to start from scratch, but ASP.NET has the power of a business that goes nowhere.

10. It has an excellent reputation for safety.
One of the main areas where most experts agree that ASP.NET beats PHP is for security. The program supports multi-factor authentication protocols that allow users to control who has access to the website or application they create with the framework. In addition, ASP.NET includes built-in features that protect against common hacking protocols such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection attacks (structured query language), open redirect attacks, and cross-site request forgery. (CSRF).

Website security is an increasingly important issue for all website owners to consider, especially as large-scale hacks and data breaches become more common. Choosing ASP.NET is one of the steps you can take to make your website safer.

5 disadvantages of using ASP.NET

It’s a long list of benefits, which can make you wonder why so many people still choose PHP over ASP.NET. This is not entirely positive, there are also some drawbacks to choosing ASP.NET.

1. It is not compatible with less CMS than PHP.
One of the main reasons why some people prefer PHP is that it works with popular content management systems like WordPress.

For people more comfortable using a CMS, which makes it easier to create and update a website if you don’t know how to code, ASP.NET places a serious limitation on their path. With over a quarter of the entire Internet running on WordPress, and content management systems like Drupal and Joomla powering a large part of the web, this makes PHP the natural choice for most websites.

2. It has fewer models and plugins.
Because ASP.NET has fewer users, it also has fewer extras. With fewer people developing useful features like templates and plugins, there just aren’t as many available to ASP.NET users. These types of extras extend the functionality of a program and can make it easier to create the type of website or application you want.

While there are certainly options you can take advantage of with ASP.NET, fewer choices mean making your website where you want it to be more difficult.

3. It is potentially expensive if you are not already using Windows.
As we have already mentioned, the use of ASP.NET is technically free. But using it usually makes the most sense for companies that already have access to a number of Windows products. One of the great benefits it offers is to work seamlessly with all of these other Windows solutions, so if you need something that a Windows product offers while working on your website in ASP.NET, you you will probably have to pay for an additional product.

Not everyone who uses ASP.NET will feel the need to spend money on other Windows solutions, but some will. If you decide that you need the additional functionality provided by Windows products, the cost can quickly add up.

4. It has a smaller community than PHP.
Although ASP.NET has a dedicated community, it is much smaller than the community that uses PHP. This means fewer support resources and fewer developers working to improve the framework. It also means that businesses will find it harder to find professional developers proficient in ASP.NET than PHP (although far from impossible). And you won’t have as many forums or user groups to go to for questions.

While this is a downside, there is enough community so that you don’t feel want if you choose to go with ASP.NET. But if having a support community is an important part of your decision when choosing to build your website or application, other options beat ASP.NET in this category.

5. It is more difficult to learn than PHP.
ASP.NET is relatively easy to learn for developers, but it has more of a learning curve than PHP. And because you can’t use intuitive content management systems like WordPress with it, it’s usually out of reach for many beginners who can’t afford to learn the programming languages ​​themselves or hire a professional when building their website.

For large companies with a budget to spend on building a website or app, this is unlikely to be a problem, as finding qualified ASP.NET programmers to hire will not be too difficult. But for small businesses and individuals who are creating a simpler website, it’s a good reason to choose an easier solution.