Backend frameworks are the most critical building blocks that make application development easier and practical. Most developers, and clients for whom the developers create apps, have a problem choosing a backed framework. For a long time, .NET has played a crucial role as the go-to framework to develop the core elements of the apps.
On the other hand, front-end frameworks are the pioneering blocks that define how the user will interact with the apps. Developers have many options for developing the front-end of the applications compared to backend frameworks. One of the most important considerations when choosing a front-end framework is the simplicity of the user interface and the ease of development.
No matter how simple or complex the apps that dotnet developers create to run in the background, the front-end must be simple, seamless, and lightweight. This is the principle that some of the top software companies, including Facebook, Netflix, and Microsoft, use to churn out amazing apps. If you are a .NET developer, you could broadly categorize your options for front-end frameworks into three:
- Use an ASP.NET front-end solution such as MVC or Razor.
- Develop a front-end using a JavaScript Library such as BackboneJs or JQuery.
- Use a standalone JavaScript Framework such as Angular, VueJs, or ReactJs.
Option 1: ASP.NET MVC and Razor Page
ASP.NET MVC
Microsoft’s .NET web stack achieved a historic milestone in 2016 with the release of the .NET Core. This is a wholly open-source framework that dotnet developers can use as a cross-platform framework to build services and applications. The .NET Core is a fancy name for a hybrid framework that combines the ASP.NET Core and the newly reworked MVC framework.
The ASP.NET Model View Controller approach to developing web forms has been so practical that it has been adapted for many other languages, including Java and PHP. This is a perfect framework that offers a shorter learning curve for developers looking for simple templates to develop simple and light but robust app front-ends.
Razor Page
While MVC is the legacy tool to put together the front-end of a .NET app, Razor Page offers greater functionality and is a lot similar to MVC. It has all the syntax and functionality of MVC and has the model and controller code included in the Razor Page itself. It uses an MVVM (Model-View-ViewMode) framework to facilitate a more straightforward development experience and enables two-way data binding.
Razor Pages are the go-to front-end solution for developers who value organization and are used to .NET’s MVC approach to development. Unlike MVC, which has separate files in different directories for controller, view, and model, Razor Page’s files are more organized and easier to manipulate from the developer’s standpoint.
Option 2: JavaScript Frameworks
There are so many JavaScript app frameworks that .NET developers can use to develop their apps’ front-end that the biggest problem they may face is choosing one. However, to make it easier for you to choose, we can narrow down the top options for client-side development to these top three:
1. React
React is the de-facto leader in the JavaScript world because it uses a reactive approach to development and relies on a functional programming paradigm. React applications can be split into multiple components, each containing both the app’s business logic and the HTML markup with JavaScript functions. It is the most flexible and most popular of all JS frameworks, but its steep learning curve can challenge new dotnet developers who may not be familiar with it.
2. Angular
Angular is a strong contender for the most dependable JavaScript framework for developing the front-end of .NET apps. It uses a Model-View-Whatever architecture that makes it modular and highly flexible. This framework breaks up the front-end of the application into nested (child) components with three files: the main file containing the business logic, the layout file, and the styles file. Fans of Angular 2+ praise it as a complete framework with all the tools a developer would need.
Option 3: JavaScript Libraries
At Nearshore Software Development, we believe that if you cannot use a JavaScript framework to develop the front-end of your .NET app, then the next best alternative is to use a JavaScript Library. Libraries are more lightweight and are designed to add style and function to an already developed app. Here are three of the best JS libraries you should consider for building the client-side of your app.
1. JQuery
JQuery is a lightweight but feature-dilled JavaScript library. Nearshore dotnet developers use JQuery to quickly and easily improve the appearance, capabilities, and behaviors of their .NET apps. The syntax of this JS library uses CSS Selector variables to define the effects of DOM or sets of elements.
JQuery has many benefits over most other JS libraries. For starters, it is widely used and has a lot of support from both the creators and the developers that love it. It promotes simplicity, offers unmatched cross-browser compatibility, and features clean and beautiful syntax that is easy to organize or debug. The library is open-source, and although it comes with cool effects and crisp animation tools, it is lightweight and clean.
2. Backbone
Backbone defines itself as a lightweight MV* JavaScript framework that partly uses an MVC architecture but with a View that complements the responsibilities of the Controller. It strongly depends on the Underscore Library that gives it most of its helper functions — including making cross-browser functionality more convenient. Backbone JS aims to reduce the complexity that defines most other JavaScript frameworks.
Developers looking for an easy-to-use library with the features of a framework often settle on Backbone. The top reason to choose this tool is that it allows for fast development, particularly for single-page apps. Backbone uses template engines such as JQuery-tmpl and Mustache to make development easier. It also relies on various JavaScript libraries such as Marionette, Chaplin, and Thorax to define the architectures of advanced apps.
Conclusion
.NET framework offers developers a way to build powerful yet lightweight and highly functional apps. While the backend is the most important area to focus on during app planning and development, the front-end will always determine how good the app is or even if it is usable.
If you need an app developed in .NET, you would have to study the market and most importantly find a developer that uses the right tools to build the front-end.