While built on top of a foundation of C# syntax, .NET continues to add reserved keywords to improve the developer experience. Some of these keywords are specific to the context in which developers are using Razor. Developers just starting their ASP.NET web development journey might have heard the term Razor, and had developers apply it within many different situations.
Blazor
There are more C# constructs useable within Razor, such as if/else blocks, switch statements, looping constructs, comments, and more. Developers can find a detailed listing of Razor syntax at the official Microsoft Documentation site. Razor Pages is the recommended framework for cross-platform server-side HTML generation. Razor pages have much of the same syntax as ASP.NET MVC Razor views, with few exceptions. The syntax of Razor is recognizable through multiple reserved symbols and keywords that allow developers to transition into the scope of C# and back out to HTML, the most prominent being the @ symbol. It has the power of traditional ASP.NET markup, but it is easier to use, and easier to learn.
- In short, OSS authors might need to rebuild elements to bring a similar API surface to developers.
- If you are porting an existing .NET Framework MVC application (MVC5 or earlier) to .NET Core, it may well be quicker or easier to keep with the MVC framework.
- Razor Pages is a great starting point for folks starting their ASP.NET journey, as it distills the required parts needed to build an interactive web experience.
- Also check out the .NET Homepage for released versions of .NET, getting started guides, and learning resources.
The MVC usage of Razor is likely the syntax and patterns developers will be most familiar with as it’s been around the .NET community the longest. It is critical to note that many of the constructs are MVC specific, and that can be confusing for some when trying to understand where Razor the syntax starts and where ASP.NET Core MVC the framework begins. Introduced as part of ASP.NET Core, and now included in .NET 5, ASP.NET Razor Pages is a server-side, page-focused framework that enables building dynamic, data-driven web sites with clean separation of concerns. Part of the ASP.NET Core web development framework from Microsoft, Razor Pages supports cross platform development and can be deployed to Windows, Unix and Mac operating systems. The Razor syntax within the component is where Blazor and previously mentioned approaches start to differ.
ASP.NET Core MVC and the RazorViewEngine
We’ll explore the beginnings of Razor, what it aims to accomplish, the frameworks it is currently in use with, and open-source (OSS) use cases for Razor developers are using today. Server-based code can create dynamic web content on the fly, while a web page is written to the browser. When a web page is called, the server executes the server-based code inside the page before it returns the page to the browser. By running on the server, the code can perform complex tasks, like accessing databases. Razor Pages is the default for building server-side web applications in ASP.NET Core.
The Runtime-only installation is intended for use on machines where no development takes place. Khalid is a developer advocate at JetBrains focusing on .NET technologies and tooling. I’ve written about generating HTML from Razor without a framework, which is a rugged use case for background workers. Security issues and bugs should be reported privately, via email, to the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) You should receive a response within 24 hours. If for some reason you do not, please follow up via email to ensure we received your original message. Further information, including the MSRC PGP key, can be found in the Security TechCenter.
JavaScript
Except for some additional razor keywords like @code, Razor syntax in Blazor should be familiar to developers. Underscoring the philosophy of Blazor, writing client-side rich experiences should be intuitive for developers coming from MVC or Razor Pages applications. Blazor is another technology within the ASP.NET Core family that relies on Razor syntax. Blazor is a framework for building interactive client-side experiences powered by Razor, SignalR, and minimal JavaScript.
We can see HTML is still an essential part of Blazor, but the @code directive is now where we can add properties, methods, and general logic to our Blazor pages. Apart from the infrastructural differences, the Razor syntax used in ASP.NET Core MVC and Razor Pages is identical. Many MVC-style applications can be ported to Razor Pages with little modification to the views, apart from link generation, which now uses references to pages rather than controllers and actions. Razor Pages is a highly-opinionated approach to building web applications, leaning heavily on the lessons learned from years of developing with the MVC framework. Razor Pages drops the ceremony of controllers and takes a more page-focused mindset. Razor is a markup syntax that flows seamlessly between Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and C# and Visual Basic syntax, with C# being the most commonly used.
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Architecturally, Razor Pages is an implementation of the MVC pattern and encourages separation of concerns.
If you are a seasoned developer, the Razor Pages framework is likely to add to your skillset with the minimum amount of effort. Razor Pages is suitable for all kinds of developers from beginners to enterprise level. It is also relatively easy for the beginner to learn, and it includes razor developers all of the advanced features of ASP.NET Core (such as dependency injection) making it just as suitable for large, scalable, team-based projects. The goal of Razor syntax is to produce server-side rendered HTML artifacts for web clients.
