What do we know about ASP.Net MVC 5.1

Microsoft’s ASP .Net is a premium MVC framework in the industry. From its first day of launch, it has never seen failure in its lifecycle. Everytime it come up with new and advanced features to sustain in the market and give challenge to its counterparts like PHP, JSP, Python etc. When we think of web development, ASP .Net is always in the top of the list for the web developers in the industry. The best part is its MVC architecture to ensure quality output in an efficient manner. MVC architecture gives maximum room to the ASP .Net developer to develop quick and dynamic web applications on the fly. With the latest ASP .Net 5.1, Microsoft has again proved that it is up to date with the demand of the market with various new features which enables the ASP dot Net developers to develop even better enterprise standard web applications for the future. Let us discuss few significant improvements in the latest version.

Enum support: While developing a web application in ASP .Net, developer used face a problem to implement enum values to different HTML components like Dropdown list, list etc. This time Microsoft has not left any stone unturned. It is listening its users and implemented the same in the framework. Now an ASP .Net developer can use the enum values in the Dropdown list using HTML helper i.e. “EnumDropDownListFor” and in list using EnumHelper.GetSelectList(). It makes the programming more fun and useful at the same time.

Improved attribute routing: Though Attribute routing was not a new concept in ASP .Net but, it was already there since Version 5. This time there is some improvements in the same due to the demands from the .Net developers. Now, an ASP .Net developer has the ability to get Route selected depending upon the header. This helps in better and efficient web app development. Moreover, Route versioning is also an improved feature of latest ASP .Net 5. Last but not the least, now you can use constraints in attribute routing. This improves the quality of programming to a next level.

Support for current Context in Unobtrusive Ajax: In the early version of ASP .Net, the developer had no option to locate the invoking element while calling an Unobtrusive Ajax call. With the latest version, the ASP .Net developer has given the power to locate the invoking element using a “this” object. Now, he can do more tasks using this function in Unobtrusive Ajax calls in different ways like OnFailure, OnBegin, OnSuccess etc.

Integration of bootstrap: Web development has seriously influenced with twitter bootstrap. This enables the user to have more controls over the contents of the web page that too dynamically. Bootstrap is a industry leading javascript library to develop and design modern web applications that are not only beautiful but also attractive and interactive. Moreover, it gives a new look and feel to the user interface that will definitely loved by the users. The best part is it makes the web page more responsive so that it can be used in different platforms and devices like smart phones and tablets. In short, we can say with integration of Bootstrap within ASP .Net, Microsoft is trying to make it even more powerful and future ready than before. You can get in touch with a custom asp.net web development company who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

We provide .net development services. If you would like to hire asp.net developers for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Benefits of using .NET for Web Developers

The earlier versions of .NET framework were developed by Microsoft to run primarily on Windows. But in late 2014, Microsoft expanded the framework to run on other widely used operating systems like Mac and Linux. At the same time, Microsoft also made the full server-side .NET stack open source. So now web developers can use the latest version of .NET as an open source software framework to build modern websites and internet applications. Microsoft recently released ASP.NET 5 to provide an optimized environment for creating internet applications for multiple devices and platforms.

Features that Make .NET 2015 Essential for Web Developers

Redesigned ASP.NET 5

Based on customers’ requests and feedback, Microsoft has included several changed in ASP.NET 5. ASP.NET 5 enables web developers to create a wide variety of modern apps by using a unified programming model that is designed by combining MVC, Web API, and Web Pages. Further, they have option to run the applications on-premise or deploy in the cloud. The programmers can simply port the existing code to the new framework to run the existing apps on the most recent version of ASP.NET.

New Language Features

The web developers can further reduce the coding time and effort by availing the new language features of C# and VB.NET. Like lambdas, the programmers now have option to use methods with a single expression as their body. Likewise, they can look at the exceptions using exception filters, and decide if the exception needs to be captured with a catch block. Microsoft has updated both programming languages to reduce clutter and boilerplate in coding, while encouraging programmers to adopt a more declarative programming style.

Cross-Platform ASP.NET Websites Development

The .NET 2015 enables programmers to create applications and services for various platforms and devices. Along with Windows, Linux and Mac, the framework now supports Android and Windows. So the web developers can now use .NET 2015 to create cross-platform mobile apps. At the same time, ASP.NET 5 comes with a streamlined framework and runtime optimized for both severs and cloud. The web programmers can further use the new Connected Services Manager in Visual Studio 2015 to connect their web applications with SalesForce, Office 365 API and similar line-of-business API services.

Flexible Runtime

The web programmers now have the flexibility to run ASP.NET 5 applications on three distinct runtimes. As the default runtime for Visual Studio projects, the full .NET CLR enables them to avail the entire API set, along with maintain backward compatibility. The programmers can also use Core CLR which is redesigned for ASP.NET 5 with cloud optimization. The cross-platform runtime, at the same time, enables programmers to run their applications on Linux and Mac. The flexibility to choose runtime makes it easier for developers to optimize their applications’ performance.

Simplified Dependency Management

ASP.NET 5 further allows developers to manage dependencies in the project in a different and lightweight way. Instead of adding assembly references to the project, they can now manage dependencies simply by referring to the NuGet packages. The NuGet packages can be further added to the project in a number of ways. Along with using NuGet Package Manager, the programmers can also add dependencies by editing the JSON file containing the lists and versions of NuGet packages. The feature makes it easier for developers to add and update the dependencies while deploying the web applications in the cloud.

Along with making the full server-side .NET stack open source, Microsoft also contributed .NET Core 5 to the .NET development Foundation. The company further announced its commitment to work with .NET open source communities. So the web developers now have option to avail the assistance of large community of .NET developers to develop large and complex internet applications without putting extra time and effort.

If you would like to hire ASP.NET developers for your .NET application development needs, please contact us Mindfire Solutions.

ASP.Net Web Parts – What needs to be considered

In the ever changing world of internet it is very difficult to understand the mind set of your audience. There was a time when people love to keep secrets within them. But now there psychology has been changed. They love to share their moments of life with others through different platforms especially in social networking sites. As a result facebook, twitter and LinkedIn are in the boom in present scenario. There is a common thing in these platforms that is providing adequate freedom to the user for customisation. In websites like facebook or twitter the user has the control to customise different features of the websites depending on his preference. He can give dynamic look and feel to the website using various settings from his browser. This makes the user to feel as a privileged member of the website and hence it improves the user experience as a whole. This concept is admired by Microsoft and it integrated the same to its flagship web development framework “Asp.net” through web parts. Let us see what we can achieve and how it is beneficial from the user’s point of view through asp.net web parts.

An asp.net web part is an integrated set of controls that enables the developer to transfer the control to the end user in customisation of the web application. It enables the end user to modify different HTML contents and their behaviour on the web page directly without intervention from the admin. The modification can be of different types depending upon the asp.net web application. It may be a permanent customisation of the website or a session specific customisation of the web application. Moreover asp.net developer can give sufficient room to the end user to modify his own profile page and this function is known as personalization.

When an end user login to your web application he can get adequate freedom to customise different web contents of your website depending his preference and that customisation can be permanent for the user till it is again being modified by him in future. This is really an awesome idea or we can say feature of web parts from asp.net developer’s point of view. It is highly inspiring to develop a web portal for the users.

Moreover it also provides freedom to the end user to personalize page layouts of the application and hence appearance, behaviour and properties of web contents. To add this, user can import or export different control settings to use in other pages and hence reducing data entry and configuration demands for the end user. The end user can also manage different site level settings through asp.net web parts controls. The asp.net developers can give the freedom to the end user to change or modify different site level settings or even they can be given the freedom to block the activity of a different user from their end using web part controls. This will definitely give a charming and beautiful experience to the end user when he can act as a moderator for a website or a thread.

Well all these web parts controls are extremely powerful and attractive from the user’s point of view. But it comes with some responsibility for the asp.net developer. As a good .net developer you must ensure that no user is able to perform any unethical customisation for your application. You can get in touch with a custom .NET development company who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

We provide .NET application development services. If you would like to hire ASP.NET developers for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

An overview of ASP.Net 5

Microsoft’s flagship product i.e., asp.net framework has been on the success path since its inception due to its continuous effort to enhance its features as per the industry requirements. On the other hand, web developers are getting adequate scope to develop industry standard web solutions on the fly using asp.net MVC framework. Let us have a glance over the asp.net 5 features which help the developers in developing rich web applications with efficiency.

Enum support in Views: In asp.net MVC 5.1, there is an introduction of new helper method i.e., @ Html.EnumDropListFor (). This helper method can be used to evaluate an expression to enum type or a Nullable<T>, where T is an enum type. We can use EnumHelper.IsValidForEnumHelper() to test the requirements. Moreover, there is another method to manipulate a list prior to calling through EnumHelper.GetSelectList() method which return an IList<selectlistitem>.

Improvements in Attribute routing: In the latest asp.net MVC framework there is a new extensibility point i.e., IDirectRouteProvider to allow the asp.net developer for full control over how attribute routs should be configured and of course discovered. This class helps in separating overridable virtual methods in order to change the logic for discovering attributes. It also helps in creating route entries and discovering area prefix and route prefix. We can implement this class during calling of map attributes or map HTTPAttributeRoutes.

Bootstrap support: The latest asp.net framework gives a freedom to the web developers (asp.net developers) to use all twitter bootstrap features in their project. This time, bootstrap library is already built in integrated with the framework to develop rich web applications which can exert beautiful user experience and improved layout. Well as an asp.net developer, one can understand the importance of twitter bootstrap library in developing modern web application for different platforms and devices. This also helps in developing responsive web applications which can give the user same awesome experience irrespective of screen size, browser and platform. This is really a future ready feature for asp.net developers.

Cloud ready environment: Recently there is a tremendous gossip on the cloud computing technology which can be used to improve the user experience in small devices like smart phones and tablets. A user can take the help of cloud services to store different types of contents without any need of physical storage on his hand held computer devices. Moreover, all data of the user is extremely secure on the cloud with different types of encryption methodologies. Now, Asp.net web developers are having an inbuilt cloud support environment to develop enterprise standard modern web applications for the future.

No need to rebuild for every change: This has been an annoying experience for the asp.net developers to rebuild the application every time for a single change in the program to catch the effect on the browser. But this time Microsoft has given a special attention for this issue and they have fixed it. Now the expert .net developers can view the effect of the change on the browser without any rebuild operation just through a refresh click. This helps in quick fixes of the application by the web developer.

Cross platform: Microsoft understands the importance of future devices and hence it has put a tremendous effort for asp.net framework to develop enterprise standard web solutions for modern platforms. Now the application developed by asp.net framework can be used in different platforms like desktops, smart phones etc to give the same user experience to all section of users.

We provide ASP.NET application development services. If you are looking for developers from ASP.NET development company, who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules., please contact us Mindfire Solutions.

Key Benefits of Dynamic Bundles for ASP.Net MVC

Microsoft released MVC as an extension framework for ASP.Net. As one of the three ASP.Net programming models, the MVC framework enables programmers to create web applications using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. So ASP.Net MVC is used widely by programmers to effectuate the development and maintenance of large websites or web applications by keeping the business logic and presentation separate. Along with being lightweight and highly testable, the framework further allows developers to exercise full control over HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

But when the websites grows in size and complexity, the administrators have to explore efficient ways to maintain the website. The developers can effectuate the website maintenance by using DisplayTemplates, EditorTemplates, partial views and similar components. However, they still need to organize the HTML, CSS, images and JavaScript in a structured way. They must clearly define the dependencies between HTML, CSS and JavaScript to make them used by the partials perfectly.

The programmers are further required to relocate the CSS, JavaScript and images according to the HTML they support. The related HTML, CSS, JavaScript and images must be stored in the same directory. Also, the view directory of a specific controller will contain the assets that support all pages in it. Likewise, the assets shared throughout the site have to be located inside a top level directory. The rearrangement of assets will result in the creation of additional CSS and JavaScript files, which will make it difficult to create MVC bundles.

Therefore, ASP.Net programmers use Dynamic Bundles to generate the bundles dynamically when the page loads. Dynamic Bundles are designed as an extension of the MVC bundles and Razor view engine. They ensure that the right CSS and JavaScript files are loaded in the proper order each time the page loads. The caching further helps in minimizing the server overhead. On the whole, Dynamic Bundles make it easier for web programmer to improve the code reusability and maintainability of ASP.Net MVC applications.

Key Advantages of Dynamic Bundles for ASP.Net MVC Applications

Co-Locate Related Assets in the Same Directory

As noted earlier, to effectuate the maintenance of large websites the JavaScript and CSS files needs to organized according to their HTML dependency. Dynamic Bundles clearly expose the dependencies, and co-locate the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files in the same directory. While co-locating the assets, the Bundles check their relevance and need as part of the page or component, instead of their types.

Auto-generated

The classic ASP.Net MVC requires programmers to create and maintain the bundles. But Dynamic Bundles can be generated automatically. Despite being loaded automatically, the Bundles ensure that the right CSS and JavaScript files are loaded in the right order.

Load Only Required CSS and JavaScript Files

While using classic ASP.net MVC, programmers have to locate the CSS and JavaScript files related to a specific page or component in the same directory. So it becomes essential to organize the assets by creating hidden dependencies. But Dynamic Bundles automatically located the related assets in the same directory. They further include a view engine that allows users to store the layout files and partial views in their own directories.

Optimize Client-Side Caching

As the CSS and JavaScript files can be split according to components, it becomes easier for programmers to keep these files small and focused. The Dynamic Bundles are effective in combining these files into bundles based on layout, controller, shared or area. The client-side caching optimization results in increasing the speed and performance of the website.

Do not Require Recompilation

While updating a website, developers often add or delete HTML, CSS and JavaScript files. When using classis ASP.Net MVC, programmers have to recompile the site each time any asset is added or deleted. But Dynamic Bundles enables developers to add or delete files without recompiling the site. As the new bundles are generated automatically, it will not have any impact on the website’s performance.

In nutshell, Dynamic Bundles can be used to improve the performance of web applications developed with Classic ASP.Net MVC. It further helps developers in maintaining the ASP.Net MVC website smoothly despite the increase in its size and complexity. You can get in touch with a custom .NET development company who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

We provide .NET application development services. If you would like to hire ASP.NET developers for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Why should businesses outsource ASP.Net services?

ASP.Net by Microsoft is a much preferred language that is used to build effective application development. This noteworthy programming language is highly reliable as well as secure due to its fast application building that is full of advanced features. Programmers get access to reliable customer support, updated documentation, secured applications as well as innovative features. There are several benefits associated with adopting this platform; however, the entire process might turn out to be tricky as well as cumbersome. To avoid hassles, most companies look to outsource their ASP.Net development service requirements to professional companies. Outsourcing holds its own fair share of advantages which have prompted the businesses to rely on them.

Quick implementation of tools- It is the job of the professional companies to keep themselves updated and in sync with the times. As a consequence they are well-versed with the several tools that come with the framework; this makes the entire work easy to do and complete. In case any new version of the tools arrives in the market, they are the first ones to know about the tricks as well methods that can help in achieving the best possible results. They know all the shortcuts that can help in easy incorporation of specific features, making the entire process easy and methodical.

 

Increase of efficiency- When the job is outsourced to another professional it is but obvious that they are highly trained as well as experienced. Thus, they bring both knowledge and experience to the table which aid in making the development process smoother as well as a more error-free one. Their experience will help them solve all kinds of problems efficiently, that too within a very short period of time. In comparison, if the businesses attempt to undertake the entire thing by themselves then the whole process may turn out to be time-consuming; moreover, there is no assurance that the ultimate result will be absolutely perfect since for them this will be a trial and error thing.

 

Cost effective- When the services are outsourced to the professionals, there is no need for the businesses to invest a huge amount of time and money for the infrastructure and training on the technology. The outsourcing partner takes care of the infrastructure as well as other related aspects. There is no need for the business to take on headaches, thinking whether the job will be standard or not; the outsourcing company will take care of all the aspects.

 

Refocusing on core areas- With the load of development off the shoulders, the brains behind the business can focus on other areas such as the core areas actually related to the products or services of the business. They can spend their energies on building their brand, invest in development as well as research so that better value added services are provided.

 

The time zone advantage- When the services are being outsourced to some other country in a completely different part of the world, it helps you take full advantage of all the 24 hours in a day due to the different time zones. So when it is night for you, your outsourcing partner can carry on your work for you. This leads to a great customer care service as well as they are assured of 24×7 services. During their working hours they can complete tasks and send them back to you for approval in your working hours. This leads to faster meeting of completion deadlines.

 

Ultimately, it all depends on the discretion of the business, whether or not they want to outsource their ASP.Net requirements. Nevertheless, with so many benefits associated with outsourcing it makes good sense to give in to the popular option. But before doing that, the businesses should conduct a conclusive background check along with gathering of information about their past projects to analyze whether they will be capable of handling the responsibility or not.

 

We provide .net development services. If you would like to hire a asp.net developer for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

ASP.Net vNext – How Good is the Framework?

As a powerful and popular web development framework, ASP.Net does not require any introduction. Despite being much simpler and user-friendly for programmers, ASP.Net still requires system administrators to put extra time and effort to fix the configuration and version issues. Microsoft recently announced ASP.NET vNext, a major iteration to the .Net framework that is rebuilt from the scratch to overcome these issues.

The next version of ASP.Net enables developers to create, deploy and maintain cloud-based applications through a unified framework. According to ASP.Net, “The next version of ASP.NET (“ASP.NET vNext”) has been redesigned from the ground up. The goal is to create a lean and composable .NET stack for building modern cloud-based apps. You don’t have to use Visual Studio to develop ASP.NET vNext applications. You can develop and run vNext on platforms that Visual Studio doesn’t run on.”

 

Features that Make ASP.Net vNext Distinct and Innovative

 

Application Contains Own Version of .Net Framework

While creating web application with ASP.Net, developers have to address minor issues related to application packaging and deployment. But ASP.Net vNext comes with improved application deployment and packaging features that help programmers in avoiding installing the complete .Net framework on their servers. While using vNext, the .Net framework will be contained within the application. Along with other libraries, the framework will also be deployed in the bin directory. So each application will contain its own version of .Net framework to run smoothly on local servers and in cloud environment.

 

A Unified Web Development Framework

ASP.Net allows developers to choose from three distinct frameworks, i.e., Web Pages, Web API and MVC. But vNext comes with a unified framework called MVC 6. The new framework uses a set of abstractions to make it easier for programmers to develop, deploy and maintain their projects. So now web programmers can use MVC 6 to avail these capabilities of three ASP.Net frameworks. Further, MVC 6 is independent of System.Web. The feature makes the unified framework leaner enough to load fasters and consume less memory.

 

Cloud-Optimized Framework

Microsoft has further optimized ASP.Net vNext to meet the growing demand for mobile and cloud applications. The framework enables developers to create apps that delivers richer user experience across devices, while running seamlessly in both virtual and hardware environments. The programmers have option to use cloud optimized mode as well as the NET native compiler. The cloud optimized mode enables developers to deploy the app along with the required copies of .NET Framework libraries. Thus, the several apps can run side by side, and get updated on a single machine.

 

Roslyn

ASP.Net vNext further comes with an innovative real-time compiler called Roslyn. As Roslyn compiles the code dynamically, the programmers are not required to create new projects to implement the code changes. They can simply refresh the browser to make the code changes effective. The feature enables them to write code using cloud based IDEs or local editors. Roslyn further provides open source C# and VB.Net compilers that are designed with rich code analysis APIs. These APIs can be used by developers by using the same APIs that Microsoft use to implement Visual Studio.

 

Mono

While creating ASP.Net vNext, the development team has emphasized on cross-platform capabilities. They have added a new feature called Mono to help developers in running their cloud-optimized .NET applications on multiple platforms. Along with Windows, now they have option to run their cloud-optimized .NET applications on Linux or Mac. Also, Mono makes it easier for programmers to run the same application of several platforms without sacrificing any of its features and capabilities. Thus, the web applications can now be hosted on platforms beyond Windows, while delivering efficient and flawless user experience.

 

With more and more enterprises adopting cloud computing, it has become essential for programmers to rapidly build cloud-based applications. The Visual Studio team has further announced Visual Studio “14” CTP that comes with the features required to support ASP.Net vNext development. So ASP.Net vNext will help programmers in rapidly creating custom cloud-based applications according to specific requirements of clients.You can get in touch with a asp.net development company who can help you develop web apps that are stable, scalable and secure.

 

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to hire asp.net programmers for your development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

2 Most Crucial Aspects of ASP.NET Framework

The Microsoft .NET Framework is being used widely by developers across the world to build applications that can run on different operating systems. Along with Windows, the framework also supports a variety of non-Microsoft operating systems line Linux, Mac and Fedora. At the same time, it allows programmers to use the .NET API which includes a set of components and platform libraries. A developer can use the framework to develop desktop applications, web applications, websites, web services and distributed applications.

The OOP principles based framework allows programmers to build powerful applications by picking any of the 40 languages supported by it. Also, a developer can use the language integration features to avail a number of benefits like cross language inheritance and debugging. In comparison to other aspects of .NET, Common Language Runtime (CLR) and Class Library play a more significant role in boosting its performance and effectiveness of various types of applications. As a run-time environment, CLR makes the application development process easier by running the code along with providing relevant services.

On the other hand, the .NET Framework Class Library also contributes towards making the development process easier by allowing programmers to use a huge collation of types including classes, interfaces, structures, delegates and enumerations. These types are effective in encapsulating the functionality of the application services as well as the core system. So the two key aspects of .NET framework can make the application development process faster, simpler and hassle-free.

Common Language Runtime (CLR)

You can use tools and compilers to write code by availing the advantages of the managed execution environment. Your managed code written using a language compiler can avail a number of advantages including cross-language integration, cross-language exception handling as well as support for versioning and deployment. The CLS also provides you with a much simpler model for debugging, component interaction, and profiling services. However, your language compiler must generate the metadata required to enable the runtime.

The metadata describe some key elements of your code like types, members and references. As the metadata are stored with the code, the information can be included by the CLR in loadable portable execution (PF) files. Along with locating and loading classes, generating native code, and resolving method invocations, the CLR also use metadata for setting runtime context restrictions and enforcing security. The efficient code management further contributes towards better garbage collection to eliminate the memory leaks and common coding errors.

Many programmers also avail the advantages of CLS to design applications and components that can interact across different languages. Further, the objects written using distinct programming languages can easily communicate with each other. Also, you can make your application more powerful by integrating the behaviors of these components tightly. The language compilers and tools use a common type system defined by the Common Language Runtime. They create, use and bind new types to the existing types by following the rules set by the runtime. The features further make CLR more effective in boosting the performance of your application or web services.

.NET Framework Class Library

Regardless of the nature of your application, you have options to avail the advantages of class libraries. The .NET Framework Class Library can be described as an extensive collection of reusable types that can be integrated with the Common Language Runtime tightly. As the class library is object oriented, your managed code can avail specific types to get certain functionality. The feature makes it easier for you to use .NET Framework types, along with integrating third-party components with the framework classes.

Also, the feature enables you to avail the advantages of .NET framework without learning any additional or new features. For instance, you can easily develop your own classes using the interfaces implemented by .NET Framework collection classes. The classes created by you can be further integrated seamlessly with basic framework classes. Similar to other object-oriented class libraries, the .NET framework also allows you to enjoy several programming languages using these types.

Along with database connectivity, data collection, object serialization, and file access, you can also use the .NET Framework types to perform some common tasks like string management. At the same time, you can also use a variety of types included in the class library to complement the requirements of your application development project. If you are planning to develop application using XML, it becomes essential to use the System.XML namespace which is also a .NET framework class library. As class libraries are compiled into DLLs by the framework, the System.XML class library will exist as part of the System.XML.dll file.

In addition to these two key components of .NET Application development framework, a developer also needs to understand the Common Types System (CTS) specification. The specification describes the data types and programming constructs supported by the Common Language Runtime.

If you want to hire .net developers for your asp.net development projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

ASP.NET – 6 Tips for Writing High-Performance Web Applications

Microsoft frequently adds new features and functionality to ASP.NET to make it easier for developers to optimize the performance of their web applications. Each web application, nowadays, has to be compatible with a variety of operating systems, web browsers and devices. At the same time, the ASP.NET applications must be effective in handling loads of user requests per seconds. So it has becomes essential for each programmer to identify and remove the performance bottlenecks to make the application powerful and popular.

6 Tips to Write Writing High-Performance ASP.NET Applications

• Use the Cache Class: An ASP.NET developer can use the Cache class to use a variety of comprehensive caching mechanism. The commonly used objects in ASP.NET development further enable him to store the resources, along with defining validity, priority and expiration for each cached object. At the same time, he also has option to attach callbacks to the cached objects that will be invoked each time an object is removed from the cache. In addition to using the Insert method of Cache class, the programmer can also add objects to the cache by adding these to the cache dictionary.

• Connection Pooling: Often the connection between a web application and database consumes a huge amount of resources. So a developer has to reuse connections to the database through connection pooling. When the connection pooling is used, a new connection is set up only if there is not free connection available in the pool. As no new connection will be set up for each new request, there will not be any impact on the TCP connections. However, the developer must track and close the connections immediately after their processing to prevent leaking connections.

• Making Your Web Page Asynchronous: In ASP.NET, requests are handled in a synchronous way. Each time the web server passes a request to the web application, the request is queued to the thread pool. Also, a worker thread is assigned for processing each request. As the worker thread is limited, the new requests are handles only after the current requests are processed. So developers have to reduce the request time in case the request is required to call a web service or retrieve information from a database. A programmer can make the input/output operations smooth by making your web page as an Asynchronous Page. After marking a page as asynchronous, he has to create a new PageAsyncTask object, and pass it to parameters for begin, end and timeout methods.

• Use Data Paging Support: Most ASP.NET developers use DataGrid to easily retrieve and display data to the users. The DataGrid also comes with data paging support, which enables you to show a specific number of records at a time. The users are allowed to navigate forwards and backwards through the records by clicking on the paging UI displayed at the bottom of the DataGrid. However, the paging feature requires developers to bind all data to the particular grid. The feature will filter the data retrieved from your database, and discard the data that need not be displayed to the users. So performance of the web application will not be impacted when more data is retrieved from the database based on the user request.

• Enable View State: ASP.NET allows developers to store specific state data inside the generated web pages through the view state attribute. You can use the view state as an alternative to cookies and server memory. Most ASP.NET controls also support view state to continue with the settings made during the interaction with other page elements. However, the view state will increase the loading time of the page during the request and serving stage. So you must disable view state at the page or control level when you are not using the attribute. The turning off will contribute towards boosting the performance of your web application.

• Turn Tracing and Debugging Off: Most ASP.NET programmers ignore the significance of disabling the tracing and debugging options in the web.config file. You can turn these options on during the application stage. But the values of both tracing and debugging must be set as false before deploying the application. If the developer forgets to turn off the debugging and tracing options, it will have a negative impact on the performance of web application. For instance, requests will not time our when the debug is turn on. Similarly, just-in-time (JIT) will not be applied to the code when the debug is set as true. So these options must be set as false before deploying the ASP.NET application.

Microsoft has further recommends a set of best practices to improve user experience by optimized the performance of your web application. Most of these best practices are also aimed to reduce the amount of time and efforts required to build powerful web applications.

If you want to hire ASP.Net developers for your .NET development services needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Top Tips to Hire .Net Developers

As an integrated development environment (IDE), Microsoft .NET is widely used by software companies to develop powerful applications. So many companies often look for experienced .NET developers for their web application development projects. Some companies look for freelance developers, whereas others want to hire a programmer for an extended timeframe. However, each recruiter needs to concentrate on certain qualities to find the right .NET developer for his project.

While evaluating the resumes of developers, you need to ensure that the professional must have good education along with adequate experience in .NET development services. It is also a good idea to hire a professional who has a good combination of formal education and programming experience. When you shortlist the resumes, give priority to the professionals with several years of programming and website developing experience using Microsoft technologies. At the same time, you also have to consider some additional qualities that make the developer more competent and ideal.

Qualities to Concentrate on while Hiring .NET Developers

• Ability to Meet Your Specific Requirements: The professional experience and expertise of individual developers vary from each others. Therefore, you must shortlist the .NET developers after checking their ability to fit to your organization. For instance, if your company offers ecommerce website development services, you cannot hire a programmer having experience in developing educational or children’s websites. When you shortlist the resumes, it is important to give preference to the professionals who are familiar with your industry. If the style of the developers fit well to your company, it will be easier for you to hire the right professional for your .NET development project.

• Proficiency in Several Technologies: Most web applications, nowadays, have to use third-party applications and services. For instance, an ecommerce website has to use shopping cart software and payment processing systems designed by outside firms. So you have to check if the professional is familiar with other popular technologies including PHP, Java, J2EE, MySQL, JavaScript, DHTML, XML, AJAX and CSS. The proficiency in these non-Microsoft technologies will make it easier for the developer to make powerful web application by integrating some of the widely used technologies and applications available in the market.

• Expertise in Handling Customized .NET Tools: Often developers have to use customized tools to build powerful web application without putting any extra time and effort. Some of these tools also need to be integrated seamlessly with your website to enhance its look and feel. So the .NET developer must be familiar with using the customized tools. Along with the tools used to make the web application more secure and interactive, he also needs to understand how to make, test and deploy web services using specific tools. You also need check if the professional knows how to keep the .NET development environment secure and inaccessible.

• Passion for Quality: Each software company has to concentrate on high standards of quality to impress and retain its clients. Often the high quality standard of a company makes it easier to promote its services through the word-of-mouth of existing clients. So you must check if the .NET developer is passionate about consistently maintaining the quality of work. You can simply evaluate the web applications developed by the programmer in past to decide if he has the ability to put the website well by avoiding the regular problems. His passion for quality will make the professional work hard to impress your clients.

• Energy Level and Creativity: Often the popularity of a web application depends on its aesthetic appeal. Many visitors even switch to the next website if they are not impressed by the look of a specific website. So your web application must be eye-catchy enough to attract users, and keeping them engaged. If the developer is creative, he can suggest the best ideas to optimize the look and feel of the website. At the same time, he must be energetic enough to implement these ideas to impress your clients.

• Good Communication Skills: Most .NET developers have to work as a part of a development team. Also, the professionals have to frequently communicate the status of the web application development project to various stakeholders. If you are hiring a freelance .NET programmer for a single project, you may ignore his communication skills. But evaluation of the professional’s communication and people management skills becomes essential when you are hiring the developer on a permanent basis. The skills will make it easier for the professionals to interact and bond with your existing employees. Also, the coordination will contribute towards making it easier for the new employee to work in a high stress environments.

Most companies, nowadays, develop projects by deploying distributed teams. So there are always chances that the .NET professional has to work in a distributed environment. You must ask him a lot of questions to ensure that he knows how to stay connected and interact with other members of the web application development team.

If you want to hire ASP.Net developers for your ASP.NET development needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.