Getting Started with ASP.NET MVC

Setting Up the Development Environment for ASP.NET MVC

Install Visual Studio

• Download Visual Studio: Visit the official Visual Studio website to download the most recent version.
• Install Visual Studio: Run the installation and then follow the on-screen directions. Make sure to choose the "ASP.NET and web development" workload during the installation procedure.

Install .NET SDK

• Download.NET SDK: Go to the.NET website and get the most recent version.
• Install .NET SDK: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen directions to finish the installation.

Create a New ASP.NET MVC Project

• Start Visual Studio: Open Visual Studio by selecting it from your desktop or the Start menu.
• Create New Project: In the start window, select "Create a new project".
• Select the Template: Select the "ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)" template and then click "Next".
• Configure Project: Enter your project's name, location, and solution name, then click "Create".

Configure and Restore Dependencies

• Review Project Structure: Open the Solution Explorer to become acquainted with the project structure.
• Restore Dependencies: Visual Studio will automatically restore the necessary NuGet packages. If not, right-click on the solution in Solution Explorer and choose "Restore NuGet Packages".

Run and Test the Project

• Create the Project: To create your project, click the "Build" option from the top menu and choose "Build Solution".
• Run the Project: To launch the project, click the green "Start" button or press F5. This will launch your default web browser and take you to the currently running ASP.NET MVC application.
• Verify Functionality: Ensure that the application loads and functions properly. You should see the default ASP.NET MVC home page.

Layouts in ASP.NET MVC

Layouts are used to ensure that an ASP.NET MVC application has a uniform appearance and feel across all views. Layouts, unlike Web Forms, fulfil the same purpose as master pages while having a simpler syntax and more flexibility.

Layout View

The layout view defines a reusable site template that ensures uniform design across various pages. It consists of four sections: header, left menu, right bar, and footer, which reduces duplicate code and improves development efficiency and maintenance.

Creating a Layout

To construct a layout, you usually define a _Layout.cshtml file in the Views/Shared folder. This file contains the HTML structure, which includes placeholders for dynamic content.

Using a Layout

To reference a layout with ASP.NET MVC views, set the Layout property in the view file (@{ Layout = "_Layout"; }). This links the view to the specified layout.

Rendering Content in Layout

The RenderBody() and RenderSection() methods are used to render content from individual views within the layout. RenderBody() outputs the view's main content, whereas RenderSection() renders the named parts defined in the views.

Sections in ASP.NET MVC

A section specifies a segment of content inside a layout. It expects only one parameter: the section's name. If you do not give this, an exception will be thrown.

Creating and Using Sections

Sections in a view are specified using @section SectionName {... }. The layout renders these parts with @RenderSection("SectionName", required: false).

Rendering Sections in Layout

Sections defined in views can be displayed in a layout to display view-specific content. This helps to keep code modular and organized.

RenderBody in ASP.NET MVC

The Layout page contains the RenderBody function, which is used to render child pages and views. It is similar to the ContentPlaceHolder on the master page. A layout page can only support one RenderBody method.

RenderPage in ASP.NET MVC

The renderpage method is also available on the Layout page, allowing you to render another page from your application. A layout page can support several RenderPage methods.

Styles.Render and Scripts.Render in ASP.NET MVC

Style.Render is used to render a set of CSS files defined in the BundleConfig.cs files. Styles.Render generates style tags for the CSS bundle. Like style.Render, scripts.Render can also be used to render a Script file bundle by rendering the script tag(s).

Default Content for Sections

Sections can have default content defined in layouts using @RenderSection("SectionName", required: false), with optional content provided if no view overrides it.

ViewStart in ASP.NET MVC

The _ViewStart.cshml page serves as the common layout page(s) for a collection of views. The code in this file is executed before the code in any views located in the same directory. This file is also applied recursively to all views within a subdirectory.

When should you use _ViewStart?

When a group of views has common settings, the _ViewStart.cshtml file is an excellent place to store this information. If a view needs to override any of the common settings, it can do so by assigning new values to them.

Creating _ViewStart.cshtml

This file is generated within the Views directory or its subdirectories. It initializes configurations such as the default layout (Layout = "_Layout";) and might include logic that is done before generating views.

Setting the Default Layout

_ViewStart.cshtml creates a default layout for views in its directory. Views inherit this layout unless Layout = null; which is used to override it inside individual views.

Overriding Layouts in Individual Views

Individual views can override the default layout in _ViewStart.cshtml by explicitly setting Layout to another layout file or null to render without one.

Methods To Render Layouts in Asp.Net MVC

• Control Layouts Rendering by using the _ViewStart file in the root directory of the Views folder.
• Return Layout from ActionResult
• Define the Layout Within Each View on the Top
• Adding _ViewStart file in each of the Directories

Rendering Methods

In ASP.NET MVC, rendering methods are the methods used to create and show content within views and layouts.

RenderBody()

Renders the portion of the child's view that does not fall within a given section. The layout view must have the RenderBody() method.

RenderSection(string name)

Renders the content of the specified section and indicates whether it is required.