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The number of people who are still confused between .NET and ASP.NET is so huge that it can be called a whole new community.
They are the people who think that ASP.NET is .NET only and that .NET is the short word used for it. Now, though there are some common points between both, they are not the same.
What Is .NET?
.NET is a framework that developers use to build Form-based applications, web-based apps, and other types of web services.
There are many languages that you can choose from to develop on this platform. It allows you to build applications for Windows, smartphones, the web, etc. You can do a lot of things when you use the .NET framework to develop applications.
When you are developing on this platform, you can expect a lot of functionalities and the support that the industry standards provide.
What Is ASP.NET?
Now, this was a basic introduction to .NET. Let’s now move on to ASP.NET. ASP.NET is a web development framework developed by Microsoft.
It is an open-source software development platform and is a subset of the .NET Framework. Read the last line again, and you will know the exact difference between .NET and ASP.NET. However, more things will help you understand the detailed differences.
It is something that everyone needs to know. No matter if you are a developer or not, just being in business these days, you need to be aware of the basic technical information.
It is something that can make you understand the difference when you will go for the development of your web app to a development agency.
ASP stands for Active Server Page. ASP.NET is the successor to ASP with the first version of the .NET framework.
It was first released in 2002. Some of you might question which technology the world was using before 2002 or being certain before ASP.NET came into existence? So, the answer to this is, classing Active Server Page or ASP technology.
Also, before .NET and ASP.NET, we had ASP, and that was where everything happened.
In this article, we will understand how these two are different from each other. Saying just that it is different because ASP.NET is a subset of .NET and a successor of ASP is not justified.
There are many layers to this, and we need to dig into them and find out the real answers to this question. People who are into development or are anyway interested in knowing different things about it need to read this article till the end.
Also, people who are working with agencies, like those who have partnered with development agencies need to understand this to have clarity about the development discussions that happened regarding .NET and ASP.NET.
Difference Between .NET And ASP.NET Frameworks
We can understand the differences between these two frameworks based on the following:
1. Basic Difference
Dot Net is a development framework. It provides programming guidelines and an interface for programming to Windows services and APIs.
It is also a software development framework that is developed by Microsoft too. Most people might be confused that only ASP.NET is developed by Microsoft and is just a subset of .NET but initially it was the .NET framework that was used by Microsoft.
It was mainly used for software development and was targeted to enable Software as a Service, but it turned out to be a lot more than that. If we look at ASP.NET, it is one of the main tools in the .NET framework and the one that plays a significant role in the .NET strategy of Microsoft.
WIth ASP.NET developers can simplify the task of Debugging and web app deployment.
Read the blog- Why do big business enterprises prefer ASP.NET development?
ASP.NET is used for web-based development, while .NET is used for general software development for desktops and other platforms.
As mentioned above, they are used to create form-based software.ASP.NET is widely used these days by web development companies and cloud computing services. Microsoft is also putting all its efforts right now into this framework. They just released a new update to this version, and it provides great features and functionalities to the developers.
There are many things that people were waiting for, for a very long time, and Microsoft gave them all those in their recent update. Even after so many years, when so many web development frameworks are in the market, Microsoft is still at the top.
They know what can work and what might not, they might have got slow in the way, but they always had the quality.
Even right now, the world has so many web developers who work on the ASP.NET framework and a lot of websites that have the technology in their backend.
Django and Angular might be cool, but the classics will always go with ASP.NET. Though the classing is also becoming cool with every new update, it is expected that Microsoft will now keep the pace and will maintain the customers and acquire more with time.
2. Architecture DIfference
The dot net framework is a managed development environment that can be used to build, run and deploy the apps and services that use the .NET technology.
Also, the execution of .NET apps is monitored by CLR, which is the core runtime engine. In simple words, it is a development and runtime infrastructure that can help developers change the development of business applications on Windows devices.
On the other hand, if we talk about ASP.NET, it is based on the components like language, CLR (Common Language Runtime), and Library.
The applications developed with ASP.NET are largely component-based and modularized.
3. Differences Based On Application Development
We have talked about this difference earlier but let’s talk about it in some detail. With dot net, you can develop great desktop applications.
It was true for some time as now you can also develop Windows services and APIs because of its programming interface. It can also be integrated with several technologies to develop many apps from windows to web and mobile. With it, the developers can develop robust client/server and some multi-tier applications.
On the other hand, if we talk about ASP.NET, it is mainly used to develop web-based applications. Also, it is a part of the .NET framework, which is used to create data-driven websites that can help businesses with different types of activities.
They can help in increasing the efficiency and improving the remote working part of the organizations. The applications that are developed with the help of ASP.NET can scale up well and work across a lot of websites without any custom coding by the web developer.
The development styles do merge into one another but being a subset, ASP.NET has a specific set of features and functions.
Developers use it more extensively as it has a better and more relevant feature concerning the web development industry. Services provided to the companies are getting better. The reason behind it is the increasing competition and the demand of the consumers.
4. The Difference In Tools And Libraries
The set of tools and libraries that are used by both these frameworks are quite different. Dot net framework works with a set of programming languages like C#, VB.NET, F#, and C++.
It also works with different tools, like Visual Studio, and also some comprehensive class libraries, web services, and Windows and web applications. These are the components that also form a big part of the .NET framework and the Visual Studio. The applications developed using it are also built on top of a software environment known as CLR (Common Language Runtime).
Any one of the dot net languages can be used to write web applications from the ASP.NET framework.
The main difference lies in ASP.NET being a subset here as well. All of the languages that are used for dot net can be used to develop web applications using the ASP.NET framework.
Tools and libraries can also be used in the same way. But, if there is some language that is specifically used in the ASP.NET framework, it might not be suitable for the dot net framework.
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Sr. No. |
.NET |
ASP.NET |
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1. |
It is a software development framework that is mainly aimed at the development of Windows apps, web and server-based applications. It is one of the most popular and oldest development frameworks. |
ASP.NET is one of the main tools that are present in the .NET framework. This tool aims to simplify the creation of dynamic websites and web pages. It is one of the most popular Microsoft web app development frameworks. It is relatively newer than the others as before only ASP was used to develop such apps. |
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2. |
Developers can use this framework for the development of server-side and client-side app development projects. Using .NET, the development of these types of Windows-based apps can be easy. |
With ASP.NET, the developers can only develop server-side applications, and that too web-based. Even though it is integrated within the dot net development framework, it still can’t be used in client-side app development. |
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3. |
It is mostly used for business app development over the Windows platform. Even now, many businesses trust the dot net framework with their enterprise app development. A dot net development company still has the power to keep going in the market for some years, and if they keep updating, they can even stay for long. |
ASP.NET is used to develop dynamic websites and web pages using the dot net languages. It is one of the most popular and efficient frameworks for Server-side app development. Because of continuous updates, the framework still holds a strong place in the web development industry and can get stronger with further updates. |
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4. |
Developers can use any programming language with CIL (Common Intermediate Language) compiler. It is one of the reasons why the dot net development framework is so popular in the developers and the business that want Windows-based app solutions. The flexibility and the functionality that it provides makes it one of the best in the same segment. |
A developer can use any of the .NET compliant programming languages to develop the apps using the ASP.NET framework. Although there are some limitations, it still is one of the most popular and flexible web development frameworks. Most of the developers who are working with Microsoft Technology associate work with this framework. |
Benefits Of Using .NET Framework For Development
No company uses a framework that doesn’t provide it with some relevant benefits. Dot net framework also provides great benefits to the businesses, and some of them are mentioned below.
These can help you decide which framework you need to use for your business software.
1. Management Of Memory
Most programming languages put the responsibility of allocating and releasing memory in a program on the developer.
That is not the case with the .NET framework. The framework lets the developer manage the allocation with the help of CLR. It makes it easy and efficient to allocate the memory and makes the development and execution better.
Even the cloud integration services get great benefit because of this one feature of this framework. It makes the development process way more efficient and fast and makes the software that is developed strong.
2. Extensive Class Library
There are many frameworks and programming languages in which the developer has to write code for a small part of the software.
With the .NET framework, the case is not the same. The developer gets access to an extensive library, and they can use it to build software faster. Many codes can be easily reused in other software, and these libraries help in just the same way.
Having so many reusable codes makes the development part easy and fast. The developers can focus on making the software better rather than writing general codes. It takes up a lot of time and is of no value to the developers.
3. Common Type System
If we talk about the traditional programming languages, then every compiler defines a common type. It makes cross-language interoperability complicated.
That's not the case with the .NET framework, the common type here is defined by the framework type system and they are common to all languages that are used in the .NET framework. It makes it very easy to build software using any language.
4. Frameworks And Technologies Used For Development
.NET uses specific frameworks for a specific type of development. For example, if we talk about web app development, it has ASP.NET.
ADO.NET is used for data access, and Windows Communication Foundation is used for service-oriented applications. Microsoft web app development and other specific things are done so well only because of these dedicated frameworks.
5. Simultaneous Execution
Most frameworks don’t allow multiple versions of themselves to exist on the same device. This thing makes it difficult, especially for the developers and the development agencies.
But because Microsoft and the Microsoft Technology Associate team have always thought about the developers, they have allowed simultaneous executions of multiple versions on the same device. That means the same application can run on multiple versions, can be developed on them as well. It increases the flexibility for the developers and the development agency that is using the framework.
Benefits Of Using ASP.NET Framework For Web Development
Now when we know what the benefits of using the .NET framework are, we should also know the benefits of the ASP.NET framework.
Let's find out what benefits the ASP.NET framework holds:
1. Better Performance
Over the years, the developers at asp .net development services provided by Microsoft have worked hard to get the best.
Since the development the whole team is working hard to develop a platform that can help both the creators and the users. Not only in scalability, but the platform aspires to excel in qualities such as speed, accuracy, durability and security.
Developers are working hard to make this platform suitable for a longer amount of time. They have developed the platform better with every update. They have made sure that they evolve and add what was required by the business.
It is one of the reasons why the web-developed industry trusts this framework so much even after 19 years of its launch.
Microsoft experienced a downfall phase when other platforms took over the market, and ASP.NET was nowhere to be seen.
But they worked on improving their performance. At the moment, this framework provides better performance than many other web development frameworks in the world. It is one of the major reasons why people use it and will continue to use it.
2. Cross-Platform Support
One of the most significant features that people look into web development or a general app development framework nowadays is if it supports cross-platform development or not.
Cross-platform development contributes to support various platforms with a minor or no change in the source code. In other words, a cross-platform app can run on plenty of operating systems such as Windows, Linux and more. A Microsoft web development company would know the kind of cross-platform services provided by ASP.NET.
This platform provides great support and functionality for cross-platform development. The developers can develop cross-platform apps more easily. Also, because of other benefits like the one mentioned just after this, it becomes faster to develop as well.
3. Less-Code
ASP.NET is a framework where the developer can develop a web application with less code as compared to other development frameworks.
It makes it easier for the developer to think about more critical aspects of the application. The easier the coding part is, the better they can think about the modules and other parts of the website or web application they are working upon.
Because of less code, the developers can also speed up the task of development and test it as well so that they know about the working of the web app. Many other things can be done because of this benefit. It is a great feature for cloud integration services as well.
4. Easy To Maintain
A benefit that both a dot net and asp dot net development company provide is that they are easy to maintain.
It is really easy to maintain the app or the code when it is written in either of the frameworks. The best part about it is that when the developer is changed because of some issue, they will not find it hard to understand and manage it.
The code has the same common type and hence, can be easily understood by the developer at any later stage. Some platforms make the code so complex that sometimes it becomes really hard to understand and maintain them.
5. Cloud-Based Web App Development Support
Cloud computing services will be benefitted from this framework of web development. This framework supports the development of cloud-based web applications, and that is something needed by a lot of businesses.
The ASP.NET development companies can develop applications that are hosted over the cloud. SaaS development is the trend that agencies need to follow and even suggest to their business clients. One of the reasons is the data features that are provided by the top cloud computing platforms, and one of them is Microsoft’s own, Azure.
Conclusion
So, this article was all about the differences and benefits that one should know about .NET and ASP.NET. There are many asp .net development services providers who still were tired of making their clients understand that they are not the same as .NET development services providers.
All the major and minor differences are covered in this article, and now you also know the benefits of both frameworks. We hope that you will now find it easy to decide between both of these and other options that you will find in the market.
Microsoft is a name that has kept its reputation high. They have always made sure that their frameworks match the international standards. You can try it for yourself.
