Asp.Net Webforms Vs Asp.Net WebSite(Razor) Vs Asp.Net MVC

Question

I think Microsoft must have a reason for enhancing ASP.Net with RAZOR syntax.

On the Create New Website Project dialog of visual studio, there is another o

Answer 1

This is a great question. First, lets characterize Razor.

Razor is an engine that parses server-side code an emits Html, just like ASP.NET Web Forms only with different and arguably more streamlined and terse syntax.

Razor v. Web Forms Sidebar: In ASP.NET Web Forms you have to identify when you wanted to start writing server code with '<%' and then when you were done writing server code you needed to identify that with '%>'. I love ASP.NET Web Forms, but that's clunky. With Razor you identify when you want to start writing server code with '@' and then the next time you start writing a server tag (starting with '<') it "figures out" that you're done with server code. It's a more concise way to write html intermingled with some server code.

ASP.NET Web Pages is a framework for creating simple Web Applications. ASP.NET MVC is a framework for creating web applications with either the Web Forms or Razor engine using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. ASP.NET Web Forms is a framework for creating web applications using the Web Forms render engine.

Ultimately the goal is to provide choice based on the sophistication of the application that is being built. Understanding each with assist you in making the correct choice for your application.

Additional Links:

• ScottGu's Blog - Introducing Razor
• ScottGu's Blog - Introducing WebMatrix
• ASP.NET Web Page with Razor Syntax (MSDN)