Microsoft has developed ASP.NET, an application framework which programmers utilize to build or offer dynamic Web services, Web applications and Web sites. Version 1.0 of the .NET Framework was released in January 2002, being the successor to the Active Server Pages technology. As its latest version, the Active Server Pages or ASP was launched by Microsoft in November 1996.
As ASP.NET uses the Common Language Runtime or CLR, it allows programmers to write the application codes through supported .NET languages. Unless ASP.NET pages contain more than one programming language, different pages can be mixed and matched, and can interact using varied languages. They will work together seamlessly, without the risks of language incompatibilities. In this respect, Web applications development is simple with the CLR.
The .NET Framework embraces a vision to create a worldwide distribution of various types of software that have interoperability as well as Internet functionality. Being a highly flexible foundation, various applications of top class may be conveniently and easily developed through the .NET Framework, upon which the ASP.NET application is built using the varied built-in languages.
ASP.NET's Web Services is one of its valuable features, as it allows programmers to have literally many pieces of an application housed on different servers everywhere in the world, with the entire application working seamlessly, effecting a more efficient information management. Web services functions even in ordinary .NET applications in Windows, and are utilized for access to currency exchange, news or login verification.
In addition, ASP.NET offers convenience of use of XML for configuration, data storage and manipulation purposes. It also comes with user-friendly tools that are built into the ASP.NET application to work with XML. XML is an excellent way to store data that do necessarily change at a faster pace, because it allows the information to be cached in the memory of the computer after being extracted initially.
A main advantage of using ASP.NET is that it reduces the codes that are otherwise required to build huge applications. ASP.NET also makes Web development easier in terms of maintenance, with its server-side, event-driven programming model. Because the HTML and the source code are together, ASP.NET pages are fairly easier to write and maintain.
An ASP.NET page produces an HTML that it sends back to the browser; hence, the written application code will not be easily stolen. Similar to client-side scripting, the ASP.NET code allows the inputting of codes alongside HTML.
Dissimilar with the client-side approach, however, the code under ASP.NET is executed on the server, instead of the browser.
With ASP.NET, the Web server monitors the pages, applications and components that are running in it on an on-going basis. It kills infinite loops, memory leaks, and illegal activities or software and proceeds with restarting itself thereafter. Moreover, deployment at ASP.NET is much easier as it does not require the registration of its components, owing to its built-in configuration information.
The classic ASP allows that data to be displayed in a basic grid control, requiring several codes to be written. ASP.NET, however, does not require the writing of any code in order to display data, but to bind them to DataGrid, which is doable in a few lines. After which, a reference on that page should be created to guide on where that DataGrid should be kept. Ultimately, the DataGrid should contain all the extracted data and must be rendered as a table. ASP.NET also works well with ADO.NET with page formatting and data-binding features.
ASP.NET also assures validation of information through its validation controls. Notably, ASP.NET's applications run faster, while countering a mass of users without compromising its performance.
ASP.NET is also notable for the huge class library it includes, which Microsoft built. Being enormous, the class library encapsulates several basic and common functions such as data retrieval from a certain database.
Microsoft has also created the MSDN library for all .NET languages, including ASP.NET. The MSDN class library is built to house examples and information on each function, method, property and class that are all accessible via ASP.NET.
Additionally, the MSDN class library includes certain tutorials to aid starting users, and has become a good resource for step-by-step learning.