Difference Between Asp .Net and Asp .Net Core

Q: How do ASP NET Core vs ASP NET relate

divASPNET Core and ASPNET are related in that they are both web application frameworks developed by Microsoft for building web applications and services using the NET platformdiv

Q: Are ASP NET and ASP NET Core the same

divASP NET and ASP NET Core are related but not the same They are both web application frameworks developed by Microsoft but they have significant differences in terms of architecture features and platform supportdiv

Q: Are NET Core and NET Framework the same

divNo NET Core and NET Framework are not the same They are two distinct implementations of the NET platformdiv

Q: ASP NET vs ASPNET Core - what should I use

divThe decision here depends on several factors like project requirements development goals technical considerations etcdiv

Q: What are the similarities between NET Core and NET Framework

ulliLanguage CompatibilityliliCommon Language Runtime CLRliliBase Class Library BCLliliEntity FrameworkliliWindows IntegrationliliCommunity and Ecosystemliul

01 Mar 2024

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ASP.NET vs. ASP.NET Core - What is the difference between them?

Are you getting confused between ASP .NET and ASP .NET Core? The ASP stands for Active Server Pages. ASP.Net is a server-side script engine for building web pages. The ASP.NET Core is the open-source and cross-platform version of ASP.NET. The Windows-only version of ASP.NET, which existed before ASP.NET Core, is typically just referred to as ASP.NET.

What is ASP.NET?

ASP.NET is a web framework designed and developed by Microsoft and it is used to develop websites, web applications, and web services. It provides fantastic integration of HTML, CSS, and also JavaScript.

The Component Stack in ASP.Net

ASP.NET provides three development styles for creating web applications:

Web Forms
ASP.NET MVC
ASP.NET Web Pages

Read More: What Is The Full Form Of ASP.Net?

What is ASP.NET Core?

ASP.NET Core is a redesign and re-implementation of ASP.NET, focusing on performance and multi-platform support. It is built to support cross-platform development and offers a ready-made configuration in a cloud environment. ASP.NET Core is now built on top of .NET Core, a new modular framework that can run on multiple operating systems and has independent release cycles. ASP.NET Core allows the creation of web forms, web APIs, MVC, and web pages.

Current State of ASP.NET8

Is .NET Core and ASP.NET Core the same?

.NET Core is a general-purpose development platform, while ASP.NET Core is a framework for building web applications on top of .NET Core.

.NET Core vs ASP.NET Core

Parameters of Comparison	.NET Core	ASP.NET Core
Parent Platform	.NET framework is the parent platform of the current multi-platform framework, .NET Core.	ASP.NET is the parent framework of the ASP.NET Core.
Full Name	The full name of the .NET Core is Network Enabled Technologies Core.	The abbreviation ASP.NET Core stands for Active Server Pages Network Enabled Technologies Core.
Released year	This open-source, crossed-source platform was initially released in the year 2012, a decade after the release of ASP.NET Core.	The released year of ASP.NET Core is 2002.
Latest Versions	The latest version of .NET Core is .NET Core 3.1.	The latest version of ASP.NET Core is .NET Core 8.0.
Compatible Operating System	The Operating Systems compatible with .NET Core are Windows, Linux, and Mac.	The Operating Systems compatible with ASP.NET Core are Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Tooling and Ecosystem	.NET Core has a specialized ecosystem for web development. It provides additional libraries for HTTP requests, client-side scripting, integration with front-end frameworks, and database operations.	ASP.NET Core also seamlessly integrates with popular development tools like Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, enhancing the development and debugging experience for web applications.

Migration from ASP.NET Framework to ASP.NET Core

You need to consider the following factors for this migration:

Assessment and Planning: Define migration goals, prioritize features, and establish a migration roadmap with clear milestones and timelines.
Code Refactoring and Compatibility: Review and refactor code to use ASP.NET Core features, such as middleware, dependency injection, configuration, and routing.
Dependency Management: Evaluate the availability of compatible alternatives for dependencies that may not be supported in ASP.NET Core.
Configuration and Deployment: Configure deployment environments, such as IIS, Azure App Service, Docker containers, or Kubernetes clusters, to host ASP.NET Core applications.
Testing and Validation: Perform unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests to identify and address regressions, bugs, and performance issues introduced during the migration process.
Monitoring and Optimization: Implement monitoring and logging solutions to track application performance, diagnose errors, and monitor system health in production environments.
Documentation and Knowledge Transfer: Document the migration process, configuration settings, deployment procedures, and best practices for maintaining and managing ASP.NET Core applications.

Dependency Injection and Configuration Management

	ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
Built-in Dependency Injection	dependency injection is not built-in, and developers often implement manual dependency injection	It includes a built-in, lightweight dependency injection container that provides native support for dependency injection.
Configuration Management	Configuration settings are accessed using the ConfigurationManager class, and settings can be defined in XML format within configuration files.	Configuration settings are loaded and bound to configuration objects using the IConfiguration interface and the ConfigureServices method in the Startup class.

Cross-Platform Development and Docker Support

	ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
Cross-Platform Development	Applications primarily run on Windows servers, full cross-platform support is not native	Applications are cross-platform, supporting deployment and execution on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
Docker Support	Docker support for ASP.NET applications is limited	ASP.NET Core has robust support for Docker containers

Framework Ecosystem and Third-Party Libraries

	ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
Framework Ecosystem	a mature ecosystem with a wide range of libraries, components, and tools available.	ecosystem includes a growing number of third-party libraries, frameworks, and tools specifically designed for ASP.NET Core development.
Third-Party Libraries	Entity Framework, SignalR, AutoMapper, NLog, log4net, Serilog, etc.	Entity Framework Core, Hangfire, etc

Hosting and Deployment

	ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
Hosting	ASP.NET applications are hosted on Windows-based servers, typically using Internet Information Services (IIS) as the web server.	ASP.NET Core applications can be hosted on various platforms like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Deployment methods	manual copying of files, using deployment tools like Web Deploy (MSDeploy), or automated deployment pipelines using Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools	manual deployment, using command-line tools like dotnet publish, Docker containerization, and automated deployment pipelines using CI/CD tools.

Integration with Modern Frontend Frameworks

ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
ASP.NET Web Forms and MVC applications can integrate with frontend frameworks using client-side libraries and frameworks like jQuery, AngularJS, or React.	ASP.NET Core MVC applications can integrate with modern frontend frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js using client-side libraries, npm packages, and build tools like Webpack or Parcel.
ASP.NET Web API can serve as the backend for frontend (BFF) services, providing RESTful APIs for frontend applications built using JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js.	ASP.NET Core Web API is commonly used to build backend services for modern web applications built with frontend frameworks.

Supported .NET Versions and Long-Term Support

	ASP.NET	ASP.NET Core
Supported .NET Versions	The supported .NET Framework versions for ASP.NET development include .NET Framework 4.x, with versions such as 4.7.2 being the most common	Supported versions of .NET Core include .NET Core 2.x, .NET Core 3.x, and the latest .NET 5.x and .NET 6.x releases.
Long-Term Support	ASP.NET itself doesn't have an independent LTS policy, organizations should consider the LTS policies of the underlying .NET Framework versions they're using.	NET 5.x and .NET 6.x are the latest LTS (Long-Term Support) releases

So, what to choose between ASP .NET Core and ASP.NET?

The decision here depends on several factors some of which are:

Project Requirements: Analyze your project requirements, including platform compatibility, performance, scalability, and integration needs. ASP.NET Core is recommended for new development projects, especially those requiring cross-platform compatibility and modern development features.
Legacy Applications: For existing ASP.NET applications, consider factors such as migration costs, compatibility with ASP.NET Core, and long-term support considerations. Assess the benefits of migrating to ASP.NET Core, such as improved performance, cross-platform support, and access to modern development tools and features.
Long-Term Support: Consider the long-term support and lifecycle policies for ASP.NET and ASP.NET Core versions to ensure ongoing maintenance, security updates, and compatibility with future platforms and technologies.

Read More:

Future Trends and Updates: ASP.NET and ASP.NET Core Roadmap

ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET Framework are actively maintained by Microsoft. They are the widely used platforms in today's world for building web applications. After going through the above article, you must have observed that ASP.NET Core, with its modular architecture and cross-platform capabilities, will play a pivotal role in the future of web development.

Therefore, project development using ASP.NET Core is a smart choice because it offers better performance, cross-platform support, and modern features. Even we recommend you all build a strong theoretical and practical understanding of ASP.NET Core to get along with future advancements.

FAQs

Q1. How do ASP .NET Core vs ASP .NET relate?

ASP.NET Core and ASP.NET are related in that they are both web application frameworks developed by Microsoft for building web applications and services using the .NET platform.

Q2. Are ASP .NET and ASP .NET Core the same?

ASP .NET and ASP .NET Core are related but not the same. They are both web application frameworks developed by Microsoft, but they have significant differences in terms of architecture, features, and platform support