ASP.NET Tutorial – Learn Web Development with ASP.NET (2025 Edition)

Build scalable, secure, and high-performance web applications with ASP.NET Core using Razor Pages, MVC, and modern tools.

What is ASP.NET?

ASP.NET is an open-source web application framework developed by Microsoft. It enables developers to build robust web apps, APIs, and real-time services using the .NET ecosystem. ASP.NET supports MVC, Razor Pages, and the latest UI framework – Blazor.

Why Choose ASP.NET?

ASP.NET Core is fast, cross-platform, and ideal for enterprise-grade solutions.

Key Benefits:

• Cross-platform via .NET Core
• Built-in Identity & Security
• Clean HTML/C# with Razor Syntax
• High-performance runtime
• Azure and SQL Server Integration

ASP.NET vs ASP.NET Core

Use ASP.NET Core for all new development projects.

Installing ASP.NET Core

Install from dotnet.microsoft.com

Check Installation:

dotnet --version

Create a Project:

dotnet new webapp -n MyWebApp
cd MyWebApp
dotnet run

ASP.NET Project Structure Overview

• Program.cs: Application entry point
• Pages/Controllers/Views: Logic, routing, and UI
• wwwroot/: Static content (CSS, JS, images)
• appsettings.json: App configuration

MVC Architecture in ASP.NET Core

MVC (Model-View-Controller) cleanly separates application logic:

• Model – Manages data and business rules
• View – HTML with Razor syntax
• Controller – Handles user input & logic flow

public class HomeController : Controller {
    public IActionResult Index() {
        return View();
    }
}

Creating Razor Pages

Razor Pages offer page-focused development.

Example Structure:

• Index.cshtml – Razor view
• Index.cshtml.cs – PageModel (C# logic)

@page
<h2>Hello from Razor Page</h2>

Routing in ASP.NET Core

Use middleware routing or attributes to define paths.

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

[Route("products/{id}")]
public IActionResult Details(int id)

Working with Forms

Bind input models to form elements using Razor syntax:

<form asp-action="Submit">
    <input asp-for="Name" />
    <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

[BindProperty]
public string Name { get; set; }

Connecting to Databases with EF Core

Entity Framework Core simplifies DB operations.

Install EF Core:

dotnet add package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer

Create Model & Context:

public class Product {
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

public class AppDbContext : DbContext {
    public DbSet<Product> Products { get; set; }
}

✔️ Register the context in Program.cs and run migrations.

Authentication & Authorization

Add Identity for login, registration, and user roles:

dotnet add package Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity.EntityFrameworkCore

builder.Services.AddDefaultIdentity<IdentityUser>()
    .AddEntityFrameworkStores<AppDbContext>();

Protect routes using [Authorize].

Deploying ASP.NET Applications

You can host your app on:

• IIS (Windows)
• Azure App Service
• Docker
• Linux with Kestrel + Nginx

Publish Command:

dotnet publish -c Release

Top Tools & Extensions

• Visual Studio & VS Code
• NuGet Package Manager
• Swagger (API Docs via Swashbuckle)
• Serilog (structured logging)

Top Learning Resources

• Microsoft Learn – ASP.NET Core
• Pluralsight ASP.NET Courses
• freeCodeCamp YouTube ASP.NET Core Tutorial

Summary – Recap & Next Steps

ASP.NET Core is the future-ready framework for building modern, scalable, and secure web applications. Whether you’re developing APIs, dashboards, or complete websites, it provides the flexibility and power you need.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn Razor Pages and MVC structure
• Handle forms and DB with EF Core
• Secure your apps using Identity
• Deploy anywhere: IIS, Azure, Docker

Get hands-on by building a basic blog or product catalog app. Continue learning with Microsoft’s official docs and community tutorials to master full-stack .NET development.