What Is MVC With ASP.NET? (With Features and Advantages)

Updated 22 August 2022

ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller) is a web development framework that helps in developing dynamic websites and web-based applications. The framework allows developers to develop web applications faster and with full control over the application behaviour. Knowledge of the ASP.NET MVC framework can be helpful if you are looking for a software developer position. In this article, we discover what MVC with ASP.NET is, explore the advantages of this framework and understand the best practices for using the MVC framework.

What Is MVC With ASP.NET?

ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller) framework is a powerful development pattern from Microsoft that offers a substitute for ASP.NET web forms. This open-source web development framework is helpful in creating, deploying and running web-based applications. You can apply the MVC framework to Java code and optimise the performance of a web-based application.

MVC framework implements the base of code in model, view and controller. Angular JS and Ember JS are popular MVC frameworks. ASP.NET MVC is considered better than the ASP.NET web forms. MVC allows developers to get rid of issues related to response time, unit testing and HTML. MVC was first released in 2009 and it provides a model-view-controller architecture.

Components Of An MVC Framework

MVC framework separates an application into the following three components:

1. Model

Model is the logic layer of an application. The business logic of application and logic to interact with databases are created in this layer. It implements the logic for the data domain of an application. The model component consists of the main functionality of a software product.

The model signifies the exchanged information between the user and application. It also tells how that exchange occurs. The function of a model is to retrieve the information from a database and package it into objects. These objects can be read by components and delivered by design.

2. View

The view component is the presentation layer, and it forms the user interface of an application. The view displays the appearance of an application. The MVC framework provides pre-coded items that can be used to create a user interface element of an application. The main function of view is to display the created .Net MVC application. For example, an edit view of an item table is a view. It displays text boxes, pop-ups and text boxes based on the current state of products.

3. Controller

The controller part of the MVC framework handles user interaction and updates the model when users interact with clicks, data input or anything else on the application. It acts as a mediator between model and view. The controller component takes requests from the interface whenever an end-user completes an action.

An action in a web application results in an HTTP request. This request signals the controller to update the model for displaying the correct view. Handling and responding to user input and requests in MVC are important functions of the controller.

The MVC controller is helpful in performing the following tasks:

Handling errors generated during the execution of an action
Locating the right action method to validate
Retrieving necessary model data and returning appropriate responses
Rendering ASP.NET page by using webform view engine

Advantages Of ASP.NET MVC Framework

Here are some advantages of the ASP.NET MVC framework:

Provides faster development of applications

MVC framework reduces time as it supports parallel development. This means that two different programmers can work on two different business logics at one time without blocking each other. MVC framework also helps reduce the time involved in coding. A developer can avoid hand-coding each element with the use of the MVC framework. Overall, it makes work faster and helps in the effective management of resources. By using the MVC framework, an application can be developed three times faster than other development patterns.

Displays multiple views

MVC framework allows developers to create multiple views for a model. It allows working on separate data and different business logic. MVC framework enables the user interface to display different views of the same data at the same time. MVC framework is a great solution for accessing an application. The separation between model, view and controller processes manages application complexity.

Returns data without formatting

MVC framework helps in returning data without any formatting. This means similar components can be used with any interface. Aside from this, developers can get full control over the behaviour of an application. MVC is basically a simpler way to program ASP.NET.

Supports development of SEO friendly platform

One advantage of the ASP.NET MVC framework is that it supports the development of SEO friendly web pages and applications. Developers can easily develop SEO friendly web pages and generate more traffic on the specific page. This makes MVC a great tool for developing feature-rich web applications.

Best Practices For MVC With ASP.NET

Here are the best practices for using MVC with the ASP.NET framework:

Create view models

The view model delivers data to the view in a raw or formatted form. Making your view models a little more functional is one of the best practices for MVC with ASP.NET. View models strongly bind with views and can help you modify the data for a view. View models contain some properties that are required only for business processes.

Use slim controller

Controllers work as directors and show where to go and how to process data. Deleting the demo code files the AccountController.cs you may not require can be helpful while using the MVC framework. It is recommended to use extremely thin (< five lines of code) controllers. You can isolate the controller from the data access layer in an ASP.NET MVC application. Controllers are responsible for preparing and returning a view, calling the model and redirecting to action.

Cache your data

Caching can be helpful in the web development process. It improves the performance and responsiveness of a web application. Caching enables you to store relatively stale data in the memory and reduces the consumption of network bandwidth.

Use strongly typed views

Views receive and display data. You can use strongly typed views in your ASP.NET MVC application whenever possible. Lean views with zero business logic code are better for your application. You can also improve the performance of the application by using minimum TagHelpers in your Html helpers. Use all the processings in your controller or models.

Use area

You can use the area to create multiple modules in the same application. Here, every module works individually without affecting other functionality. It is helpful in creating pluggable web applications in ASP.NET MVC. The area helps in separating the components and is used to create backend modules like the Admin part of an application.

Use bundling and minification

It is important to use bundling and minification in the ASP.NET MVC application. You can group all the resources your application requires into one downloadable resource. This process is known as bundling. Minifying the scripts and CSS files can be helpful in removing the unnecessary characters, comments and white space characters.

Frequently Asked Questions About The MVC Framework

Here are some frequently asked questions about ASP.NET MVC:

When should you choose an MVC framework?

An MVC framework can be helpful when you want to expand the functionality of a developed application. You can choose this framework if your development team has experience in ASP.NET MVC patterns. You can work with ASP.NET MVC if you prefer a mature and documented framework.

What is model binding in ASP.NET MVC?

Model binding in the ASP.NET MVC framework is a process that binds a model to a controller and view. In the MVC framework, model binding acts as a converter as it converts HTTP requests into objects that are passed to an action method. The Model binder works as a middleman between View, Controller and Model.

What are the differences between ASP.NET MVC and web forms?

Here are some differences between ASP.NET MVC and web forms:

Model: ASP.NET MVC follows a pattern-based development model, while web forms follow a conventional event-driven development model.
State management: ASP.NET MVC framework lacks any state management techniques, while web forms support state management techniques like view state.
Types of URLs: ASP.NET MVC has route-based URLs that are divided into controllers and actions, while web forms have file-based URLs that exist physically. File names exist in the URLs of web forms.
Syntax: ASP.NET MVC follows customisable syntax, while web forms follow web forms syntax.
Control for HTML: ASP.NET MVC has less control over HTML and has HTML helpers, while web forms have lesser control over HTML. Web forms have server controls.

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What Is MVC With ASP.NET? (With Features and Advantages)