Features of ASP.Net vNext that will wow you

Yet another breakthrough from Microsoft: After ruling more than a decade through its flagship product asp.net, this time Microsoft came up with a new framework which can make you say wow with its first look. This new product is asp.net vNext. It is developed considering the future demand in mind by the efficient team from Microsoft. A web developer can develop an enterprise standard futuristic advanced web application using vNext in less time and more accuracy. Hence tech experts are accepting this as a breakthrough from Microsoft to make a clear path for the future. Let us have a brief look over its awesome features.

It’s Open Source! Yes you heard it correctly. The Microsoft’s asp.net vNext is an open source micro framework for the asp.net developers. Open source means a developer can modify its source code as per his requirement. So now we can develop web projects without the need of visual studio. Moreover, the asp.net vNext is available on Github. So we can expect a better support as well.

vNext is micro yet efficient: Thought vNext is micro in size but it is extremely efficient in developing enterprise standard web applications for future. It can produce responsive web applications which are not only eye catchy but also light weight. Moreover due to small size this needs less memory for both development process as well as execution of the application. This framework is extremely optimized considering the future web browsing devices like smart phones and tablets in mind. Hence we can say though it is tinny in size but its dynamite in performance.

vNext is compatible with Cloud: We all know the importance of cloud service for the future generation web applications. Every web developer or asp.net developer must learn to integrate cloud support in their application making it fit for future. Cloud support helps in developing light weight yet efficient web applications for modern hand held computers like smart phones and tablets. Due to light weight, asp.net web developers can give you better user experience without compromising on the quality of the application.

vNext can produce cross platform apps: Microsoft sought loudly while introducing asp.net vNext that “Mobile first, Cloud first”. From this we can easily guess what vNext is aiming for. VNext is to develop industry standard mobile web applications which can run on different platforms. Asp.net developers can now produce single app which can give the same user experience in different platforms like windows, MAC or Linux. Moreover web developers can produce cross platform smart phone apps for Android and IOS along with windows operating system.

No need to build, every time you made change: Unlike ASP .net framework, the vNext framework does not require the asp.net developers to build the application after change made by the developer. Now web developers can simply modified the code on the IDE and they can view the effect just by refreshing the browser without any need of build. This helps in preventing the irritating behaviour of asp.net framework for the web developer.

The same charm of .Net still exists: Just imagine an asp.net application which needs just 10% of the framework and for that the developers have to install the whole framework. This is nothing but waste of time, effort and memory. To prevent this peculiar situation, asp.net vNext comes with a tiny package with all those necessary features of asp.net with addition of few futuristic features to help the developer in developing modern web applications. At the same time it doesn’t take away that awesome charm of asp.net while you are projected to the new vNext environment.

You can hire developers from top asp.net development companies in India who can help you build web applications according to your ideas within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide .net development services. If you would like to hire certified .net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Difference between ASP and ASP.Net

In order to draw the line of difference between ASP and ASP.Net, let us at first define the two separately. Ideally speaking, that is the best way to start discussing the difference between the two.

ASP.Net can be defined as an open source web application framework, meant for the server-side functioning that is specifically designed for development or designing of web pages that are dynamic in nature. It is also used for the development of various kinds of web applications as well as web based services.

How has website performance & scalability improved with ASP.NET?

ASP.NET is the short form of Active Server Pages.NET and web technologies as well as web pages are created by virtue of this Microsoft created product. Programmers as well as developers find this tool to be extremely valuable since rich dynamic web sites along with web applications can be built through compiled languages such as C# and VB. Apart from script languages other .NET languages can be used as well. This is a well favoured technology which acts as boon for the websites that need their content frequently updated. The scalability and performance of a website is drastically improved in the following ways.

Compiled code- The amount of code needed for construction of large applications is dramatically reduced through this. In fact, the code comes compiled since the technology is server side scripting based. This leads to the code being processed on windows server itself before being displayed on web browser. This makes the execution of such applications a lot faster than the normal interpreted scripts.

Strict coding needs- The coding standards are quite strict, almost forcing developers to adhere to it. A proficient engineering approach is thus promoted for application development, resulting in a code that has fewer bugs in general than its usual ASP counterparts.

Language support- With ASP, Jscript as well as VBScript are supported. But with this platform, standard programming languages that include C++, Visual Basic and C# are supported.

Third party controls- The last few years have seen a rapid growth in the ASP.NET community. A huge base of excellent quality third party controls is contained by the platform which can help in speeding up of the development time, thus in consequence the cost as well. Additionally, automatic state management is provided by it as well to control web pages. This is often known as server controls. There is also the flexibility of creating customized and new server controls from the controls that already exist.

Programming model that is event-driven- All web page related objects expose events which the code may process. Handling events like Change, Click and Load through code helps in reduction of program complexity and increase of organization.

Page and object caching- Built-in features are provided for caching of web pages that are frequently requested on the server. Both pages as well as objects may be cached which leads to dramatic increase of performance. The advanced caching system allows the specification of the things that need caching and which do not; you can even specify the time when the cached information should be recalled instead of performing new requests. Additionally, there are features which help in localizing of content meant for particular languages along with culture. The features can even detect browser capabilities.

Higher scalability- There are some great in-built scalability features in it that includes maintenance of session state over servers along with load balancing of multi-processors.

User authentication- User authentication based on forms is supported by the software which includes unauthorized logins redirected automatically and cookie management. User accounts as well as roles are allowed here which provides a high granularity to control access to pages and objects.

On-the-fly updates- By virtue of this platform it is possible to update deployed web applications on the fly. There is no need to restart the server.

Supportive- Full support is provided by it for many established and new web standards including XML and CSS.

When we analyse how ASP.NET has affected the performance as well as scalability of websites, we must remember the reason behind the creation of this framework; the main aim of Microsoft was to cater to the changing demands and needs so that dynamic web applications as well as web pages can be built. Thus, the various benefits highlighted here leave behind no doubt that this is indeed a precious development tool which offers plenty of freedom to developers.

You can hire developers from top asp.net web development companies in India who can help you build web applications according to your ideas within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to hire asp.net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Some Of The Best ASP.Net CMS's With Their Features

A Content Management System can be defined as a computer program, that is designed to allow editing, publishing, modification along with maintenance from a centralized interface. These content management systems provide various procedures that come in handy while managing the workflow in a definite collaborative environment.

You will find a lot of ASP.Net CMSs which are astoundingly useful as well as user friendly. Let us discuss a few of them along with the features they come up with.

DNN (DotNetNuke)

DNN or DotNetNuke as it was previously known as, is an extensible, scalable, open source as well as secured Content Management System that powers innumerable websites all over the world. DNN today is one of the most adored, popular and acceptable open source Content Management System, that is based on Microsoft.NET. This particular platform is designed to be used as a CMS as well as an ASF or Application Development Framework. The platform can also be used for creating and deploying modular and interactive sites or web application quickly, without much hassle whatsoever. The application is mature and stable, and is extremely easy to install. It has a strong community and it gives the users a wide number of options for plug-ins along with the themes.

Umbraco

It is a fully-featured Open source Content Management System that has the flexibility to run the smaller campaigns, or brochure sites through various complex applications that are designated for some of the best Fortune 500 companies and the most famous media sites. This CMS is quite easy to learn or use. All these features make it one of the perfect CMSs, when it comes to web designing or developing web sites along with creating content. It is user-friendly, easily customizable, robust and fit for running on even the largest or the most complex sites. The modern User Interface that the CMS comes up with, its pure .NET architecture and its active community make it one of the best web CMSs. It supports MVC as well as WebForms, it is open source and contains options of paid support as well as add-ons.

MojoPortal

This is another extensible, user-friendly, fully featured as well as mobile friendly CMS as well as WAF or Web Application Framework, that is written in C# ASP.NET. It comes up with blogs, forums, Google/Bing Maps, Contact Form, Calendar, Polls, Newsletters, e-commerce, surveys and a lot more. It supports MS SQL 2005/08/AqlAzure, MySQL, etc. So far as the development of customized applications is concerned, this is one of the most preferred CMSs as it has the ability to behave like a starter kit for the more advanced .NET sites along with portals. It is also considered to be the strongest standalone CMS. It is user-friendly and is easy to be learned – a fact that makes it so much adored. Its strong community is also a notable feature. This makes troubleshooting less cumbersome as well as simple.

Kentico

This ASP.NET CMS comes up with a free version that needs a site to display the logo of Kentico. However, the paid version, which is also termed as the premium version is designed to remove the ads as well as offers and this offers an extra tinge of functionality to the CMS. When it comes to the beginners, this is one of the best CMSs, with some astounding support for e-commerce as well as social sharing.

It is actually an Enterprise Web CMS that is designed with the objective of providing a comprehensive feature set that can be used to build intranets, websites, e-commerce solutions, community sites, various types of marketing animations, multi-site management etc. The CMS can be designed to have as many as 70 modules along with 400 configurable web parts as well as source codes to meet the customized needs of the clients. It is this flexibility that makes the CMS so much popular.

Another user-friendly feature of this CMS is its highly configurable platform, which can easily be modified as well as extended to meet the clients' requirements. All the pages of this CMS are properly organized in the form of tree hierarchy. This makes the platform, user-friendly, thus helping the small as well as the enterprise level sites to handle the CMS alike, without any problem whatsoever.

You can hire developers from top custom asp.net development companies in India who can help you build web applications according to your ideas within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to hire .net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Best ASP.Net eCommerce Platform to Set up Web Stores

The right web store can boost the online sales and revenue of your business. But you also need to optimize the look, feel, performance and security of the eCommerce portal to beat competition. Microsoft has developed ASP.NET as a server-side web application development framework that helps programmers in building robust internet applications on time and on budget. Your business can avail several benefits by building the web store with ASP.NET. However, you must choose the right ASP.NET ecommerce platform to set up the web stores without investing any additional time and effort.

7 Widely Used ASP.NET eCommerce Platforms to Set up Web Stores

1) AspDotNetStorefront
You have option to choose from the Express, Enterprise or Professional version of AspDotNetStorefront according to your needs and budget. Each version of the ecommerce platform is designed with features that enable your business to own assets, accommodate needs and integrate information. You can further customize the look and feel of the online store completely, while changing skins in the real time. It also comes with shopping cart software that supports HTML, XML and AJAX. You have further option to access the source code written in VB.NET and C#. However, the framework does not provide any WYSIWYG editor.

2) AspxCommerce
Despite being an open source ASP.NET ecommerce solution, AspxCommerce allows businesses to design, configure, customize and manage their web stores. If you have already installed a web script, the platform will allow you to setup and launch a fully functional online store within a short span of time. Along with being easy to use and customize, AspxCommerce comes with the tools and features required to create and manage web stores without hiring an experienced web developer.

3) nopCommerce
The open source shopping cart enables businesses to setup web stores without any hassle and delay. You can use the pluggable modular/layered architecture provided by the framework to create robust online stores within a shorter time span. While running the ecommerce solution, the architecture further enables you to dynamically add additional functionality and presentation elements. The platform supports mobile commerce, multiple stores, multiple vendors, payment features, tax features and customer service.

4) Multifront Ecommerce Software
The zNode ecommerce platform is used by many large companies to power their online business and deliver richer user experience. In addition to designing, configuring and setting up a web store, you can also use the ASP.NET ecommerce platform to scale the site as your business grows. You also have option to fully customize the key aspects of the platform like operations, administrations, search and customer experience. At the same time, the solution can also be integrated seamlessly with your existing ERP and back-office systems.

5) Aivea Commerce Server
You can choose from the single-store, multi-store or hosted edition of the Aivea Commerce Server (ACS). But each version of the ASP.NET ecommerce platform is designed with over 5,000 documented features, and built-in integration with Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics and SAP. In addition to supporting multiple stores, languages and currencies, the platform further comes with a set of feature required for B2C, B2B, B2E and B2G ecommerce. You can avail these features to connect with individual customers by delivering personalized eCommerce experiences.

6) VevoCart
The ecommerce software solution is available in both free and commercial editions. VevoCart comes with a responsive design that is compatible with a variety of devices including desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets and phablets. So you are not required to make the web store compatible with various devices. At the same time, the framework comes with an ASP.NET PA-DSS compliant eCommerce payment application. It also provides a set of tools that makes it easier for you to carry out marketing campaigns.

7) Magelia WebStore
Microsoft also offers several ecommerce platforms that come with the built-in features required to set up web stores. The service-based approach of Magelia WebStore allows businesses to set up robust and scalable web stores without putting any extra effort. Along with supporting multiple languages and currencies, the framework further allows you to easily generate useful objects like product variants, bundles, categories and catalogues. Also, you can use the features to define multiple shipping options, discounts and taxes.

In addition to these widely used frameworks, you also have option to choose from a variety of open source and commercial ASP.NET ecommerce platforms. However, you must evaluate the features and tools provided by each platform to choose the most effective framework to set up the web store.

You can hire developers from top custom asp.net development companies in India who can help you build web applications according to your ideas within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to hire .net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Why Should .Net Developers Care About Node.js - Few Reasons

Prior to discussing about the importance of knowledge about Node.js for the .NET developers, it is important to know what Node.js is. Node.js is a typical type of software platform that is strategically built for the server-side usage along with networking applications. These applications are basically written in JavaScript and they can be run within runtime on Mac and Windows OS as well as Linux without any changes whatsoever.

Now it is imperative for the developers to have a substantial knowledge about Node.js and let us discuss – why.

The first and foremost reason is because the platform has tremendous extent of scalability. Indeed, an astounding technology has been used to develop the platform and that is why with the help of this platform, the expertise of a .NET developer reaches an altogether new height.

This platform is in fact a pleasant surprise for a developer. There are quite a number of nodal modules that will help make the transition of .NET to Node less painstaking as well as time consuming. Hence, even if someone is master in .NET development it is imperative to know this platform as this will make life easier for the developer in question.

iinode
This particular module would allow hosting Nodal applications inside the IIS on the Windows. This provides substantial advantages to the Nodal apps as IIS supports lifetime management and a considerable amount of support for the web gardens, integrated security and so on.

httpsys
This is another drop-in replacement for the in-built HTTP stack of Node that uses the kernel-mode http.sys driver in the Windows so as to provide an enhanced as well as high-quality performance along with kernel-level output caching. This naturally helps the .NET developers a lot when it comes to development.

Node-sqlserver
This a model that was designed and developed for querying against the local as well as the cloud based SQL servers from within the Node apps. This counts in terms of effectiveness so far as .NET development is concerned.

Passport-wiondowsauth
This particular module provides an integrated windows authentication to the applications of various Nodes. These are somewhat similar to the traditional integrated auth experience so far as ASP.NET is concerned. It also comes in handy in case of form based authentication as it depends upon the passport.js authentication module.

edge
edge.js is another module that makes way for a solid Node/.Net integration. It will allow the developer to call any arbitrary .NET code from within any Node application. Any .NET code can be shoehorned into any async delegate and that will be very much usable. This provides a tremendous extent of advantage when it comes to integrating it with the existing .NET code library. Newer Node applications can be written and this will come in handy for the valuable core functionalities that are written in .NET, without the need of re-writing them in Javascript afresh.

While this platform is a remarkable technology, the most significant benefit is that it does not have to depend on the thread pools for the purpose of achieving a definite asynchrony. It helps in encouraging various asynchronous scripting codes that are to be used on a server. If and when a particular request waits for a definite operation, it has the capacity of releasing the threat in question for responding to another request at the same time.

In fact, the platform encourages various non-blocking behaviors. Though the platform is itself single threaded, it does not remain preoccupied so as to make callbacks waiting and can actually accommodate an increased amount of traffic than what a conventional web server like Apache or IIS does per thread.

This offers a huge advantage to the development of .NET by speeding up the synchronization process of the operation. Hence, so far as development is concerned, the platform provides a huge shot in the arm by making the development easier, quicker and most importantly, less complicated.

You can hire developers from top custom .net development company in India who can help you build web applications according to your ideas within allocated budget and time schedules.

We provide .net development services. If you would like to hire asp.net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Everything a .Net Developer Wants to Know about VS2013

The Visual Studio 2013 has been incorporated with a number of brand new features with the intention of enhancing the productivity of this integrated development environment. The features, some of which are absolutely new and others- extensions of the productivity power tools- are meant to save time and efforts on part of the developers too. Now, using the VS2013 and deriving the maximum benefits out of it requires the .net developers to stay aware of certain aspects of this development environment introduced by Microsoft.

Here is a thorough overview of the features that have been newly introduced and that the developers should be aware of:

Introduction of CodeLens

CodeLens is often considered to be one of the best features introduced in the Visual Studio in the last few years. Being an altogether new feature, CodeLens demands the developers to learn about it in details. CodeLens can be enabled from the options dialog while one can also enable specific information offered by this innovative feature. Useful information including that of the reference counter is aligned with the code editor. Now, each of the class contains information such as that of the reference number, code changes, test methods, time changes and so on. It has to be remembered in this respect that the CodeLens can also be combined with the CodeMap for more effective use.

Enhancement of the Scrollbar

The enhanced scrollbar has now been made a part of the Visual Studio 2013. This feature, which had initially come up as a popular productivity power tool extension, provides developers with visual cues about the file on the vertical scrollbar. The scrollbar markers, on the other hand, allows viewing of the location of errors, bookmarks, breakpoints, warning and so on right on the file. The idea is to make information easily accessible for all as, one does not need to move away from the present position to gather information about the various other parts of the files.

Incorporation of Peek Definition

Clicking on some type brings the developers to a new option, called 'Peek Definition' and this offers them with another window while also displaying information about the chosen type. The incorporation of the Peek Definition was with the purpose of letting the developers stay in context of the respective codes even at the time of browsing through definitions.

The feature saves a lot of time as, the developers can now go through the definitions without losing track of the particular code, on which they happen to be working at the moment. You are also not required to leave the original file. The Peek View in the VS2013 is read only although attempts are being made to enable editing of this feature too.

Auto Brace Complete Option

The auto brace complete feature enables automatic addition of quotes, braces, brackets and closing parenthesis just as the developer types the code in the Editor. The auto brace complete option is yet another feature that worked as the productivity power tool and is now included in the VS2013. Alongside, specialized completions for the various languages like C++ and so on have also been added.

While the above-mentioned ones are the features that the developers must be conscious about when it comes to using the VS2013, there are few more that adds to the efficiency of the integrated development environment. These are

• JavaScript navigational dropdowns
• EcmaScript 6 Support
• New HTML editor
• Browser link
• URL rewrite intellisense in web.config
• Open sourcing web essentials
• Few CSS/Less trics

Keeping all these features in mind certainly would help developers during .Net web development.

We provide asp.net application development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our certified .net developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How ASP.NET Web Development is Superior from Others?

As a successor to Active Server Pages (ASP) technology, ASP.NET was launched by Microsoft in 2001 along with the .NET Framework. Within a decade, the framework has become a widely used server-side web application development framework. The framework is popular among developers who are looking for faster and simpler options to build dynamic websites, web applications, and web services. As the technology is built on the Common Language Runtime (CLR), the programmers have option to write code using any of the .NET languages like C#, J#, VB.NET and Delphi.NET.

So a developer can write the code using a language that allows him to complete the coding quickly. Also, he can avoid writing lengthy code by availing the advantages provided by the Visual Studio integrated development environment. At the same time, they can use the ASP.NET SOAP extension framework to enable web components to process SOAP messages. Microsoft has further launched a number of extension frameworks to optimize the performance and functionality of websites and internet applications. There are also several factors that make the framework superior from others.

Why ASP.NET Development is Superior from Others?

Rapid Web Application Development

As web development has become competitive, each enterprise wants to build websites as early as possible. However, one also needs to concentrate on optimizing the performance and scalability of the internet application. ASP.NET enables programmers to build dynamic websites at a rapid pace using rich controls. For instance, some richer controls allow them to create grids, wizards, and calendars without writing longer lines of code. At the same time, a programmer can also avail the drag-and-drop server controls and WYSIWYG editing options by using the Visual Studio integrated development environment.

Visual Studio .NET IDE

Microsoft has designed Visual Studio .NET IDE as a comprehensive yet easy-to-use environment for web application development. It comes with a set of innovative tools to build dynamic, interactive and scalable internet application. Along with web design tools and database tools, the IDE also offer several debugging tools. So the developer can use a single IDE to build, test and debug web applications. Further, he has option to modify a web page when the same it being executed. In comparison to J2EE's Eclipse and PHP’s Zend Studio, Visual Studio .NET comes with a wider range of high quality tools. The tools allow programmers to avoid writing lengthy code, in addition to testing the performance and scalability the internet application on the fly.

Higher Scalability and Performance

While building an internet application, programmers explore ways to improve its performance and scalability. Microsoft has designed ASP.NET with a set of innovative scalability features. For instance, the features are effective in balancing multi-processor load and maintaining session state across multiple servers. Further, the web server constantly monitors the application, web pages and components running on it. So it will restart the application automatically to overcome illegal activities like infinite loop and memory leaks. These features make it easier for programmers to develop interactive and scalable website at a rapid pace.

Several Extension Frameworks

The performance and functionality of an ASP.NET application can be further optimizes using extension frameworks launched by Microsoft. These frameworks can be simply plugged into the application to extend its functionality. For instance, the ASP.NET AJAX extension enables programmers to add AJAX functionality to the server-side and client-side components on a web page. Similarly, the ASP.NET MVC framework can be used to design applications in a model-view-controller (MVC) environment. Further, the programmers can easily build data-driven applications using the ASP.NET Dynamic Data extension.

Enhanced Authentication and Security

Along with improving the performance and scalability of the internet application, developers also need to enhance its security. The ASP.NET framework allows programmers to use several authentication and data-validation options. A programmer also has option to develop base classes using .NET inheritance feature. As the base class is customized according to the nature and requirements of the application, it will authenticate the information before displaying it to users. At the same time, the programmer can use the content encoding feature to secure the information, if there is not option to secure the data displayed to users. Thus, a developer has options to choose from different authentication and data-validation options to keep his application secure.

Microsoft is updating ASP.NET at regular intervals to target the latest trends in web development. Each updated version comes with a set of extended and innovative features to complement the needs of rapid web application development projects.

We provide .net application development services. If you would like to talk to one of our expert .net developers, please visit Mindfire Solutions.

Benefits of Offshore .Net Application Development

Since its initial launch in 2001, Microsoft .NET is being used widely by developers to build a variety of applications. Along with websites, web applications and web services, the framework also enables programmers to develop several types of desktop applications. But the ongoing recessional phase of the global economy has made it essential for enterprises to curtail software development cost. So, most companies, nowadays, look for cost-efficient ways to build dynamic and robust applications. A gradual increase is also noted in the number of enterprises hiring offshore .NET development companies to keep the software development cost under control.

Each business also has option to hire an offshore software development company according to the nature and specific requirements of the project. As it can choose from several reputable offshore .NET application developers, a company can always negotiate for a better deal without compromising on the quality and timeline of the project. Along with keeping the project overheads under control, the offshore .NET application development can further get a business several benefits. However, an enterprise must do a thorough cost and benefit analysis before opting for offshore .NET application development.

Why Many Enterprises Opt for Offshore .NET Application Development?

Reduced Project Cost: The constant changes in technology have made it a daunting challenge for companies to find technical skills and expertise. In addition to hiring experienced .NET developers, an organization has to invest in updating their knowledge. But when a company outsources the project, it can avoid expensive new recruitment. Further, it can concentrate on its core business processes, and optimize profits. At the same time, an enterprise avails the services of offshore .NET developers whose education, training and skills are on par with the local programmers.

Rapid Application Development: As software development has become competitive, each company wants to impress clients by completing the project at a rapid pace. In addition to saving the time required to recruit skilled developers, the offshore software development can further contributes toward reducing the project duration. The combination of skilled .NET developers and round the clock output makes it much easier to conceptualize and implement the idea. Many companies even outsource .NET application development projects to impress clients by releasing the product quickly.

Easy to Incorporate Changes: The frequent changes in user demand has made it essential for businesses to build the .NET application with extended and innovative features. At the same time, the application must be tested thoroughly to determine its performance and scalability. So there are always chances that a client has to incorporate changes. Most offshore .NET developers deploy highly skilled and experienced developers. So they can easily incorporate the innovations and technological solutions without extending the project timeline. Also, they can conceptualize and implement the ideas by keeping in mind the latest trends in user choice.

Adopting Agile Development: Each company wants to adopt agile methodologies to overcome of the limitations of conventional project management. But it has to invest some amount of time, efforts and resources to adopt the innovative methods. When an enterprise outsources the .NET application development project, it can adopt agile techniques in a quick and hassle-free way. A business also has option to hire an offshore company that follows the agile methodology. The adoption of agile methods will further contribute towards reducing the overall project cost.

Extended Support: Along with developing the .NET application, you will need constant support for its maintenance and upkeep. The offshore companies, normally, offer extended support to maintain the software once the project is over. However, the period of extended support may vary from six months to one year based on the terms of your outsourcing contract. You must ask specifically for extended support to boost the overall efficiency of the .NET application through quick bug fixes and effective maintenance.

Each offshore .NET application developer wants to impress and retain clients by developing high quality applications. So the companies often manage the project through high-quality procedures and well-defined processes. The process and procedures further add value to the project, while conceptualizing the initial idea in a more innovative way.

We provide asp.net web development services. If you would like to hire asp.net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How to build Richer ASP.NET Ajax apps faster?

Web applications being developed today appear smarter and customized compared to older apps. And this is because of the richer set of features they possess. The rich UI with animation, ability to drag and drop custom functionality with gradual introduction to technologies like scalable vector graphics are helping in this transition. One can add toolbar, icons, buttons, bookmarks, which changes the behavior of browsers instantly. Apps can constantly interact with the web server to manipulate data and create new web pages for the users.

With AJAX, developers have been giving their user's desktop-like functionality and behavior. As web applications are becoming more classic and sophisticated and even more data intensive, more and more web apps are embracing ASP.NET AJAX which helps making the application more and more intuitive and engaging.

AJAX approaches in ASP.NET web apps make use of the UpdatePanel and partial postbacks. Both of these functionalities offer rich features and easy implementation. It is ideal for smaller projects, both approaches transfer large amounts of data. It also has highly effective web service-approach called PageMethods. ASP.NET application development service attracts the world to use it to evolve dynamic and professional websites which will push the enterprise towards the peak level. With Richer ASP.NET Ajax, apps make web pages look and feel much more dynamic and perform faster, while providing a great user experience. AJAX framework plays a major role to get web pages interacting with the servers on other domains and this bridges cross-domain calls seamlessly.

ASP.NET data presentation server is powered by Microsoft AJAX offering control to the client, thus enhancing the power and responsiveness of controls such as the GridView and DetailsView. The data client controls create truly responsive web applications that interact seamlessly not just with servers and data, but also with other servers and other sources of data should one choose.

Features of ASP.NET Ajax

1. Complete cross-browser support

RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX provides a consistent experience across all major browsers such as Firefox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. To support new browsers and browser versions, Telerik ensures website performance is not interrupted by new browser releases.

2. Highly Accessible ASP.NET AJAX Editor

Telerik support various organizations that bridges the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. It brings innovative enhancements in the ASP.NET AJAX RadEditor and makes it one of the most accessible web-based rich text editors. It even enables new opportunities for sight-impaired users.

3. Tuned for exceptional performance

Achieving exceptional performance is one of the biggest challenges in web development and a key requirement for almost all web applications. With RadControls, one can deliver unrivaled performance even in the most demanding enterprise applications. It features numerous capabilities that help improve website performance, such as built-in AJAX, built-in support for JSON binding on the client. HTTP compression, automatic ViewState, efficient rendering with CSS sprites and semantic HTML and skin resource combining. Used in combination, one can effortlessly optimize websites for maximum performance without writing any complex code.

4. Support for ASP.NET MVC

ASP.NET MVC is a new alternative for building ASP.NET web applications. Alone ASP.NET MVC does not support time saving UI controls. Telerik AJAX UI controls provide support to Microsoft MVC and allow to begin using the emerging platform while still leveraging familiar rich UI controls from ASP.NET WebForms. Telerik also offers native ASP.NET MVC components that are built for this platform.

5. Testing ASP.NET AJAX

Telerik is developer-friendly automated testing tool which helps to test ASP.NET AJAX and functionality at client's end or bind test steps to a data source without leaving Visual Studio. It supports JavaScript function invocation and validation directly from .NET code.

From the above features things get sorted, while developing these customized applications for varied business users and they can be loaded much faster and deliver the best productive apps.

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What is ASP.NET? -Top 8 Advantages of ASP.NET

Each user wants to access the most relevant and updated information on a topic from online sources. But the relevance and frequency of web content varies from one user to another. So most developers, nowadays, use server side web application frameworks to develop, deploy and maintain dynamic web pages. Each developer also has options to choose from a variety of application frameworks based on the nature and requirements of the project.

But in comparison to other frameworks, ASP.NET frameworks are used widely by developers residing in various parts of the world for .net application development. The features and advantages provided by the Microsoft backed framework also comes with loads of features that enable developers to build web pages, web applications, and web services without putting any extra time and effort. If you are new to this development, it is time to understand some of its most prominent advantages.

Why ASP.NET Scores over Other Web Application Development Frameworks?

1. Loads of Client-side and Server Controls: Developers often use built-in controls to avoid writing lengthy code. The rich server and client-side controls provided by ASP.NET make it easier for developers to save their time and effort. They can use some of these controls to develop wizards, calendars and interactive grids without writing long codes. Along with improving the user experience, the instant controls further make it easier for them to have complete control over the web application.

2. Easy to Learn: ASP.NET is hugely popular among the experienced programmers as well as beginners due to its easy-to-learn and user-friendly features. As it is built on common language runtime (CLR), a developer has options to write codes using any of the .NET supported language. Further, the beginners can easily learn the technology, and develop robust web applications by using its control features right away.

3. Reduced Development Time: Most companies require their developers to build robust web application as soon as possible. In comparison to other technologies, a developer can develop and deploy websites and applications very quickly. Each .NET supported language comes with a wide range of in-built features that make it easier for him to design variety of custom application. At the same time, a programmer can also build large and complex web applications without writing long codes. These features contribute towards reducing the project development time.

4. Flexibility: The frequent changes in user choices have made it essential for developers to make changed to the websites at regular intervals. Most developers also explore options to edit and update web pages in a quick and hassle-free way. ASP.NET allows them to easily boost the user experience by updating the source codes within a short span of time. Along with editing the existing web pages, the versatile framework has further made it easier for the programmers to add new pages and multimedia content.

5. Easy to Deploy and Maintain: Despite developing powerful web applications, many programmers find it challenging to deploy these properly. ASP.NET has made it easier for developers to build as well as deploy robust web applications. In comparison to other frameworks, ASP.NET allows them to set up and deploy the application on the clients’ web servers in a hassle-free way. Further, they can maintain the web pages in a flexible way, as the source code is executed on the server side. This feature also saves their time in editing and maintaining the web pages.

6. Constant Monitoring of Processes: Each process is constantly monitored by the ASP.NET runtime. The performance of your web application to handle user requests is not impacted, as a new process is started automatically, when a process becomes dead. At the same time, the server also constantly monitors each page, component and application. It automatically destroys the unusual activities like infinite loop and memory leakage to boost the performance of your website.

7. Use ASP.NET MVC Framework: Along with the ASP.NET web form, you also have options to avail the advantages of its MVC framework. As the MVC framework is designed based on ASP.NET, it allows you to avail most of its features and controls. However, the MVC framework is more lightweight, and also comes with loads of additional features in comparison to conventional technologies like JavaScript and CSS. You can use the MVC framework to develop more powerful and dynamic web applications by separating UI, business logic, data or model.

8. Enhanced Security: In addition to developing and deploying the web applications, developers have to take some additional measures to keep them secure and inaccessible. As ASP.NET comes with a robust and inbuilt security system, it makes it easier for programmers to use several authentication and authorization methods. The authentications ensure that the users can see only the most necessary parts of the code, and that too after being adequately authorized. These security systems make the website safe, secure and impenetrable without requiring you to use any additional security software and tools.

Microsoft is updating ASP.NET at regular intervals with new features and functionalities. The advanced features make it easier for the framework to meet the latest trends of website and web application development.

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Things to be Considered While Hiring a .Net Developer

The rapidly evolving technologies come up with a host of options for application development. There are diverse frameworks that cater to the need for building flexible, scalable and robust applications. As the emerging technologies present businesses with great opportunities, the phenomenon also leaves numerous businesses wondering about using the right framework that would lead to good Return on Investment. The .Net framework is very good at addressing this issue.

Microsoft.Net is considered as one of the most sought after web technologies, rampantly used in the development of web applications and websites of different types and complexities. The scalability, portability and simplicity of .Net programming along with the wide range of possibilities for development of robust web applications makes it an obvious choice for a number of web development requirements.

The .Net software framework offers a uniformly structured, comprehensive and convenient programming model which facilitates the development of both simple and complex applications. The robust yet flexible platform makes room for formulation of windows desktop as well as web applications. A number of technologies are involved including WDSL, UDDI, ASP, OOP, XML, SOAP and programming languages such as J#, C#, VB as well as C++. In addition to this, the .Net framework also offers portability of codes across diverse computers operating on windows. Whatever be the programming language that is being utilized, there is always the scope of the code to be reused.

In a nutshell, the major benefits that this framework offers are:

• Rapid development procedure
• Accessibility to dynamic and versatile .Net library
• Development of reliable and secure applications
• Seamless development process
• Access to skilled developers

So far as .Net project development is concerned, there are endless possibilities. The following development needs can be fulfilled:

• Web based applications
• Ecommerce web development
• Custom.Net applications
• Mobile application development
• Intranet and Extranet solutions
• Portal development

To take advantage of this framework, you can go for hiring expert developers. But before you do so, there are certain things that need to be considered.

• Business Maturity: Whenever you are approaching a .Net project developer or a development firm, it is advisable to check out the number of years the person or the firm is in the service industry. Make an evaluation with respect to available resources, transparency, communication, development methodologies and certain other factors. Remember not to compromise on the quality just to reduce the cost.
• Relevant Experience: While hiring a .Net developer, check out whether the person has considerable experience in dealing with .Net projects. Experience is a critical factor in determining the service provider’s capability and the ROI. Initial evaluation of the experience will prevent any kind of issues during the development phase.
• Expertise: This is one of the major aspects to be considered while hiring a .Net project developer. You must confirm whether the developer has the requisite expertise to cater to your project needs. It is true that the .Net framework can be easily learnt, but only a proficient developer or development team is capable of giving you the desired output, through preparation of a roadmap and implementation of the relevant methodology.
• Infrastructure: It is always good to confirm regarding the infrastructure within which the developer would be working. Ensure whether the proper resources and communication means are available along with a considerably equipped workplace. Evaluating the infrastructure avoids any kind of uncertainties that might crop up during the project.
• Recognition: It is very crucial to make sure that the .Net developer has the requisite certifications. Check out the portfolio of the person or the firm, because if recognized companies have found the .Net developer to be trustworthy, you might also trust them for a quality project development.

Adopting the .Net development framework is indeed a wise step towards creation of successful applications and websites. Partnering with the right ASP.Net application development company will definitely help you fulfill your requirements and reap good Return on Investment.

We provide .Net development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our expert .Net developers, please visit Mindfire Solutions.

Performance - Scaling Strategies for ASP.NET Applications

A good number of the websites which draw a large amount of traffic run on ASP.NET. Performance problems might occur as the application scales up, and in that case, it is imperative to determine the inherent strategies required to address the same. The greatest challenge lies in the creation of a group of measurements that would be able to cover your application’s performance from end to end. You need to understand the problem as a whole, in order to find out the focus areas.

The Performance Equation

For measurement of web application performance, the following equation is used:

R~Payload/Bandwidth + AppTurns (RTT)/Concurrent Requests + RTT + Cc + Cs

The definition of each of the above mentioned variables lies as follows:

• R refers to response time. It is the time gap between the user request for a page and the opening of the full page on the computer.
• Payload indicates the sum total of the bytes sent to the browser.
• Bandwidth refers to the transfer rate from and to the browser.
• AppTurns measures a given page’s resource file number, including images, JS, CSS and others.
• RTT represents the time for round-trip, irrespective of number of bytes transferred.
• Concurrent Requests is the number of requests that a browser can simultaneously make for the resource files.
• Cc refers to the client compute time.
• Cs is the server compute time.

The main challenge lies in the measurement of each element. There are a number of tools for measurement of Response time, Payload, Bandwidth and Round Trip Time. Moreover, there are tools for reporting the magnitude of a web page’s CSS, HTML, JavaScript and so on. Concurrent Request is basically a constant while some extra development effort is required for Cc and Cs.

Coding can be done for all these elements in case you wish to develop your website in a debug mode that leverages the performance equation. Once the elements of the performance equation can be routinely rendered on the browser, convenient detection of performance problem areas is possible.

Dealing with Scaling Issues

For improvement of scaling there are three strategies that can be employed:

• Specialization: The aim of this strategy is to break the application into smaller components for isolation of the problem. For instance, one might try moving CSS, JS, images or other such static resource files off ASP.Net servers. Specialization should only be carried out when the benefit is known.
• Optimization: Optimizing the server code can ensure effective scaling. Linear scaling is applicable for all aspects of the performance equation except for the server compute time. The crux of optimizing server code lies in the fact that testing is used for ensuring that an actual difference is being made. Profiling tools should be used for analyzing the application and finding out the area where most of the time is being spent. The whole process needs to be empirical- leverage tools for finding the code that requires enhancement, enhance the code, verify whether the performance has actually improved, rinse, lather and repeat the process.
• Distribution: For implementation of distribution, servers need to be added, the apps duplicated across the servers and load balancing done. NLB (Network Load Balancing) can be utilized for load balancing which makes all the servers equal partners in the load balancing association. For effective distribution, you need to do away with affinity. For instance, when there is a single web server, it is good to store session data there. However, if there are two or more web servers, you need to think differently. One strategy is to store it on the web server and utilize affinity. This implies that a given user’s first request is load balanced while all the subsequent requests from the same user or session go to the same server as the first one.

Minimizing Payload

A glance at the performance equation will tell you that the payload pays an important role, especially while it is a case of limited bandwidth. Decrease in the size of the payload will enhance the response time and it will also give you certain scaling benefits as well as cut down on the bandwidth costs.

Caching

Data is moved closer to the user through caching. Basically, in any ASP.Net application, prior to any substantial optimization work, virtually all the required data lies in the database and with every request; the same is retrieved from the database. ASP.Net renders support to three types of caching- programmatic or data caching, page caching and partial-page caching.

Scaling Databases

Scaling out is usually done for websites rather than scaling up. But when it is the question of scaling databases, scaling up is the normal approach. Specialization is definitely the first step, which involves breaking the database into logical components or partitions. These are data centric partitions which lead to manifold databases, each comprising a segment of the entire database.

During the entire growth phase of the application, the scaling effort also records continuous growth. The key to efficient scaling is to go for measurement before cutting, which means that you should do proper verification to ensure that an improvement is being made rather than a change. While selecting .Net development services India providers, choose one which has proper experience in handling .Net projects.

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The role of Frameworks in .Net

The .Net Framework comprises a technology which renders support to development and operation of the generation next XML Web services and applications. This framework aims to carry out the following tasks:

• Make room for a reliable object-oriented programming atmosphere irrespective of whether object code is executed remotely, executed locally and internet distributed or stored as well as executed locally.
• Provide a convenient environment for code execution which reduces the chances of versioning conflicts and software deployment.
• Render a code-execution ambience promoting secure code execution, incorporating code generated by a semi-trusted or unknown third party.
• Provide an environment for code execution which does away with the performance related issues with respect to interpreted or scripted environments.
• Develop each and every communication with respect to industry specific standards to enable the .Net framework code to get synchronized with other codes.

Function of the frameworks

The .Net framework consists of two prime components. One is the CLR or the common language runtime, which is in fact the execution engine taking care of the running applications. The second is the framework’s class library that offers a library of reusable, tested code which can be called from the developers own applications. The frameworks of .Net provide the following services for running applications:

• Memory management: In a number of programming languages, the responsibility of release and allocation of memory and handling of object lifetimes lies on the programmers. So far as the .Net Framework is concerned, the CLR offers these services in support of the application.
• Common type architecture: With respect to conventional programming languages, the compiler defines the basic types and this makes cross-language interoperability complicated. In case of .Net, the type system defines the basic types, which are the same for all languages targeting the .Net framework.
• Comprehensive class library: In place of writing a large number of codes for handling general low-level operations for programming, a conveniently accessible types’ library can be used by programmers from the Class library.
• Development technologies and frameworks: The .Net framework consists of libraries with respect to particular aspects of application development like ASP.NET in case of web applications, Windows Communication Foundation in case of service related applications and ADO.NET with respect to data success.
• Interoperability of language: CIL or Common Intermediate Language is an intermediate code emitted by language compilers which target the .Net Framework. In fact, the common language runtime compiles the same at run time. With the help of this feature, routines that are composed in a particular language can be accessed by other languages. Therefore, programmers are able to concentrate on creation of applications in the language that they want.
• Version compatibility: Although there are some rare exceptions, it is possible to run applications developed through leveraging a specific edition of the .Net framework without any kind of modifications on a later edition.
• Simultaneous execution: The frameworks in .Net facilitate the resolution of version conflicts by enabling manifold editions of the common language runtime to be present across the same computer. Thus, it implies that a number of editions of the applications can operate together. Moreover, it is possible for an application to run on the same edition of the .Net framework with the help of which it was developed.
• Targeting multiple platforms: Developers can target the portable class library of the .Net Framework. This enables them to come up with assemblies that are able to operate on manifold platforms of the framework, like Windows Phone, Windows 8, Xbox 360, Windows 7, and so on.

The frameworks of .Net web development make the technology totally transparent for the users. So far as the developers are concerned, interoperability and the language independence of the .Net framework allow developers to select any language supporting the framework for creation of applications.

We provide ASP.Net development services. If you would like to hire .Net developers from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.