The world of programming is so fluid that the importance of various development tools also fluctuates with the rise and fall in the demand of various technologies. What was a popular choice for backend web development, frontend development a couple of years ago, is not the most preferred choice now, thanks to changing preferences that’s the hallmark of a modern-day technology era. There was a time Developers were happy with going with Microsoft software stack for their development projects ten years ago.
It was an 800-pound Gorilla in the field. Because ASP.NET, .NET, and SQL Server worked so well together, companies were happy to choose a complete Microsoft stack for their development projects.
However, many in the field feel Microsoft Full-stack relevance has gone down because of the shift to the mobile and increasing popularity of Android and iOS. To an extent, there might be some semblance of truth, Microsoft Full-stack still holds a lot of relevance, and it has the power to become a viable choice as a complete development framework.
What is Microsoft Full-stack?
Full-stack .NET developers have a lot of skills that allow them to handle a large number of tasks. They can easily work on both the frontend and backend aspects of projects. Because of the versatility of .NET, the industry looks to hire a full stack developer. It is convenient to have one person who performs the frontend and backend work needed.
The full-stack Microsoft development kit allows developers to build client-server applications with ease, whether frontend or backend. The ASP.NET frontend connects to the Microsoft .NET middle-tier, which connects to the SQL Server backend.
Though it has slightly gone out of the mainstream, it has shown resilience and hunger to stay relevant. And it’s succeeding with the rise in the popularity of cloud-based applications powered with Microsoft Azure platform.
The Microsoft Full-Stack .NET framework continues to evolve, bringing new updates and new frontiers with libraries. With the release in 2015, the framework has only become stronger.
Why is it so important focusing on backend, frontend?
Having a seamless combination of both frontend and backend technologies stitched together in a natural flow is crucial to the optimum function of any application. Most people view the frontend as aesthetics part, and the backend with the database is blinkered, and to an extent, an incomplete view. UI/UX is not just about aesthetics; it’s about usability.
In the digital era, it’s even more crucial to know how the entire technology stack performs in delivering a great end-user experience. Right from the browser through backend application services and infrastructure, each stack component has to work in a coordinated fashion to ensure optimum performance.
Frontend Development Holds the Key While traditional performance testing focuses on server-side applications, an estimated 80 percent of page load time occurs in the browser.
Microsoft Full-Stack Front-End Development with ASP.NET Core, Angular development, and bootstrap can be a key to fast, responsive web development. Microsoft full-stack software development framework with Angular, Bootstrap, Xamarin, Jasmine, and similar frameworks, with a bit of jQuery Mobile, packs a punch for powerful web development.
Powerful Backend Packs the Punch
The choice of a database is of critical importance in web development, and that’s where ASP.Net syncs well. You can use any popular databases with ASP.NET, including Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, Postgres, MongoDB and CouchDB. When developing web applications, the type of database you use is an important decision. While Microsoft SQL Server needs expensive software licenses for complex development and deployments, the free Express version of Microsoft SQL Server is suitable for most websites. That’s a huge advantage you get.
Still .Net is in presence!! And How it happens?
The following eight reasons make .Net still in presence and a huge sound choice for development:
- Reliable, Robust and Mature
Built 10-years-ago, the .NET framework is quite a mature framework that has been around for more than ten years. It creates an ecosystem for software development and allows programmers to write code of high quality and performance with robust security features.
Microsoft designed the .NET Framework to enable quick and easy development of applications for Windows, with an easy-to-use development environment and a powerful class library. Developers love it because it is a comprehensive, robust, and reliable development platform used by millions of developers worldwide. In short, its battle-tested for years.
- Easy Code Management
.Net manages your code, which is essential for various reasons, such as reducing bugs and building more flexible applications. Additionally, it handles tasks, such as allocating and recovering memory, creating and destroying threads and processes, and managing the access permissions of running codes.
Since .Net is fully integrated into Visual Basic, it allows you to extend your applications in new ways.
For developers used to working on VB, having memory management, thread and process creation is handled dramatically using ASP.Net, which eliminates the probability of chance for memory leaks and other common bugs. And it has cross-platform capabilities, which is a big plus.
- Forget the Old, Enjoy New Capabilities
Like any other language framework, ASP.Net has evolved with time, especially after the development of Microsoft Azure to cater to the needs of cloud-based SaaS applications development.
Whether frontend application or backend development, you can trust it. ASP.NET is a Microsoft framework built on top of the .NET framework, featuring robust infrastructure for authentication, bundling and routing. It is often deployed with the MVC pattern and can be easily integrated with 3rd party JavaScript frameworks.
- Powered with Web API
Web API, part of .NET Framework 4.5, offers a simple way to create HTTP services without extra complexity typically associated with WCF. It is easier to use than WCF, but this simplicity also comes at the cost of fewer customization options.
With a complete range of configuration options and hooks, it allows you to intercept, route message, use peer-to-peer and queuing. Therefore, it is preferred for app development.
- All-Powerful SQL Server
The .NET Framework is powered with Microsoft SQL Server, meaning you can embed .NET code as stored procedures or functions without compromising the performance. And last but not the least, SQL Server excels at keeping and managing data and its accompanying components, however, what sets it apart is how well it integrates with other Microsoft products.
- It’s More Modern
It’s an entirely object-oriented language designed to eliminate any in-built consistencies, is usually the hallmark of VB and C++. These languages were built to allow developers to build an n-tier architecture, breaking the code up into different components. Now this can be easily achieved by .Net making the life of developers easy.
- Thriving Community and Support
When choosing a backend development platform, look for an extensive online community that can help you with any issues. Make sure that you also have access to a person who can help with whatever you need, and that’s where ASP.Net reigns supreme. It’s always better to have a range of options, such as community forums and vibrant technical support in the field of tech development. The online ecosystem for Microsoft products is, without a doubt, one of the largest, which makes it a natural choice.
- Strong Focus on Basics
Despite a lot of noise, Microsoft never deviates from the basics. The mobile trend has changed the tech landscape drastically, and it means that choosing Microsoft Silverlight as a frontend for an application is no longer a viable option.
Nowadays, JavaScript frameworks dominate the frontend space. Despite this, it’s still supported by Microsoft through 2021. That makes Microsoft unique as it sticks to its guns, which is good because we have to make technology choices without knowing the future.
Final Thoughts
ASP.Net development is an excellent choice for most organizations when it comes to web application development since it makes developers more productive, reduces bugs, speeds up application development, and simplifies deployment. Although some IT managers are sceptical of its steep learning curve, its impact on productivity is difficult to deny.