While using ASP.NET, you need to choose from three programming models – Web Forms, ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Web API. As a web framework, ASP.NET MVC enables you to create a variety of web applications based on model-view-controller (MVC) programming paradigm. But ASP.NET Core enables you to build both web applications and web APIs using a unified programming model – ASP.NET Core MVC.

Hence, you can always consider upgrading from ASP.NET MVC to ASP.NET Core MVC to accelerate application development. The single programming model helps you to keep the web applications and APIs maintainable and testable by keeping their user interface and business logic layers separates. Also, it accelerates web API development by providing a page-based programming model called Razor Pages. You must migrate from ASP.NET MVC to ASP.NET Core to avail a number of new features and enhancement.

Why You Must Consider Migrating from ASP.NET MVC to ASP.NET Core MVC?

A Single Programming Model

Unlike ASP.NET, ASP.NET core enables you to develop both web applications and web APIs with a single and unified framework. ASP.NET Core MVC comes with features to accelerate development of both web applications and web APIs. Also, you can use the web framework to create a variety of applications by targeting different devices and user environments.

Robust Routing

ASP.NET Core MVC takes advantage of the robust routing feature provided by ASP.NET Core. You can use the route template syntax to define custom routes through URL-mapping component. Also, the route template syntax supports route value constraints, defaults, and optional values. It even allows you to use convention-based routing to define URL formats and attribute routing to specify routing information.

Model Binding and Validation

You can take advantage of the model binding feature of ASP.NET Core MVC to convert client request data into objects automatically. These objects can be handled efficiently by the controller without evaluating the incoming client request data. However, you still have option to validate the values on the client-side and before being posted to server. The web framework allows you to validate the values easily by decorating model objects with data annotation validation attributes.

Dependency Injection

ASP.NET Core comes with built-in support for dependency injection. You can leverage the dependency injection support while using ASP.NET Core MVC. You can use the features to make controllers request and access the required resources through constructors. Also, you can use the @injection directive to integrate dependency injection into view files. The dependency injection features enables you to create web applications by integrating an array of loosely-coupled modules while keeping the code base clean and maintainable.

Razor View Engine

While working with ASP.NET Core MVC, you can use Razor View Engine to render views more efficiently. The expressive view engine further allows you to define views using embedded C# code. Also, you can use Razor to generate website content on the server and integrate client-side and server-side content. The individual modules provided by Razor helps you to render strongly-typed vies and use view components to reusable packages of rendering logic.

Tag Helpers

ASP.NET Core MVC comes with a new feature called tag helpers. Tag helpers make it easier for you to create and render intuitive web pages by generating HTML files from server-side code in Razor files. You can even use tag helpers to create new HTML tags and customize existing HTML tags. You also have option to choose from a variety of tag helpers to accomplish common web development tasks like form creation, link generation and asset loading.

Filters

ASP.NET Core MVC enables you to control code execution in the request processing pipeline using filters. You can use filters to execute code before or after a specific stage in the request processing pipeline. The built-in filters help you to encapsulate authorization, handle exceptions, cache responses, impose access restrictions, and make requests use HTTPS. At the same time, you also have option to create custom filters to accomplish additional web development tasks.

Areas

You can use areas as a MVC structure to divide a large applications into multiple functional groups. The feature helps you to build and maintain large web applications efficiently by grouping their components according to different levels of functionality. Also, you can assign models, views, and components to each functional group, while partitioning the web application.

Application Testability

While working with ASP.NET Core MVC, you have option to use both interface and dependency injection. The option makes it easier for you to evaluate individual parts of the application by performing unit tests. The ASP .Net MVC developers can even accelerate integration testing by using Entity Framework. Hence, you can always consider switching to ASP.NET Core MVC to test the software throughout the development process.

Recently, Microsoft announced ASP.NET Core 2.0 with several new features. The updated version of ASP.NET Core provides a new programming model called model called Razor Pages. The new programming model enables you to focus on the application’s user interface and server side experience, while taking advantage of MVC design pattern. Hence, you can use ASP.NET Core MVC to create a variety of applications by targeting varying devices and environments.