Starting Your First .NET MVC Application

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Introduction

The Model View Controller (MVC) architectural pattern is a powerful and effective way to build robust, scalable web applications with ease. In the .NET framework, MVC provides a flexible and efficient means to separate concerns, ensuring a clean, organized, and maintainable codebase for developers. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps needed to create a basic MVC application using .NET technology.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

Step 1: Create a New Project

  1. Open Visual Studio.
  2. Click on Create a new project.
  3. In the search bar, type ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller) and select it.
  4. Click Next.

Image: Selecting the MVC project template in Visual Studio.

Step 2: Configure Your Project

  1. Give your project a name, such as MyFirstMvcApp.
  2. Choose a location for your project.
  3. Click Next.
  4. In the Additional Information window, ensure the following options are selected:
    • .NET 6.0 (Long-term support)
    • Configure for HTTPS
    • Enable Docker (if required)
  5. Click Create.

Image: Configuring the new MVC project.

Step 3: Explore the Project Structure

After your project is created, you’ll see a standard MVC folder structure:

  • Controllers: Contains controller classes that handle user input and interactions.
  • Views: Contains the UI templates.
  • Models: Contains classes that represent the data and business logic.

Step 4: Create Your First Controller

  1. Right-click the Controllers folder.
  2. Select Add > Controller.
  3. Choose MVC Controller – Empty.
  4. Name it HomeController.

HomeController.cs:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;

namespace MyFirstMvcApp.Controllers
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        public IActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }
    }
}

Step 5: Create a View for Your Controller

  1. Right-click the Views folder.
  2. Select Add > New Folder and name it Home.
  3. Right-click the new Home folder and select Add > Razor View.
  4. Name it Index.cshtml.

Index.cshtml:

@{
    ViewData["Title"] = "Home Page";
}

<h1>Welcome to My First MVC App!</h1>
<p>This is your home page.</p>

Step 6: Run Your Application

  1. Click the Run button (or press F5).
  2. Your application will launch in a web browser, displaying the home page with your message.

Image: The running application displaying the home page.

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