ASP.NET Core Razor Pages Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide (2024)

Welcome to my comprehensive guide on ASP.NET Core Razor Pages! If you're looking to dive into web development with .NET, Razor Pages is a fantastic place to start. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to get up and running with Razor Pages. By the end, you'll have a solid understanding of how to create dynamic, interactive web applications using this powerful framework.

What are Razor Pages?

Razor Pages is a feature of ASP.NET Core that simplifies the process of creating web applications. It allows you to build web pages using a combination of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and C#. The key advantage of Razor Pages is that it enables you to write server-side code directly within your HTML files, making it easier to create dynamic content.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before we dive into coding, let's set up your development environment. You'll need the following tools:

• Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code: These are popular IDEs for .NET development.
• .NET SDK: Make sure you have the latest version of the .NET SDK installed.

Creating Your First Razor Pages Project

Let's start by creating a new Razor Pages project. Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:

dotnet new webapp -o MyRazorPagesApp

This command creates a new ASP.NET Core web application with Razor Pages support. Navigate into the newly created project folder:

cd MyRazorPagesApp

Understanding the Project Structure

The project structure of a Razor Pages application is straightforward. Here are the key folders and files you'll be working with:

• Pages: This folder contains your Razor Pages files (.cshtml).
• wwwroot: This folder contains your static files like CSS, JavaScript, and images.
• Startup.cs: This file is where you configure your application's services and middleware.

Creating a Simple Razor Page

Let's create a simple Razor Page to display a welcome message. In the Pages folder, create a new file called Index.cshtml. Open this file and add the following code:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; }
This is a simple Razor Page.

The @page directive indicates that this file is a Razor Page. The @model directive specifies the page model, which we'll define shortly.

Adding a Page Model

To add dynamic behavior to your Razor Page, you need to create a page model. Create a new file called Index.cshtml.cs in the same folder and add the following code:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;public class IndexModel : PageModel{ public void OnGet() { // Add logic for handling GET requests here }}

The IndexModel class inherits from PageModel and contains a method called OnGet. This method is executed when the page is requested with a GET request.

Adding Dynamic Content

Let's add some dynamic content to our Razor Page. Update the Index.cshtml.cs file as follows:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;public class IndexModel : PageModel{ public string Message { get; set; } public void OnGet() { Message = "Hello, Razor Pages!"; }}

And update the Index.cshtml file to display the message:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; }
@Model.Message

Using Layouts

Layouts in Razor Pages allow you to define a common structure for your pages. Create a new file called _Layout.cshtml in the Pages/Shared folder and add the following code:

  
 
 @RenderBody() 
 

Update the Index.cshtml file to use the layout:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; Layout = "~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml"; }
@Model.Message

Handling Forms

Let's add a simple form to our Razor Page. Update the Index.cshtml file as follows:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; Layout = "~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml"; }
@Model.Message

And update the Index.cshtml.cs file to handle form submissions:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;public class IndexModel : PageModel{ public string Message { get; set; } [BindProperty] public string Name { get; set; } public void OnGet() { Message = "Hello, Razor Pages!"; } public void OnPost() { Message = $ "Hello, {Name}!"; }}

The OnPost method is executed when the form is submitted. The [BindProperty] attribute is used to bind the form data to the Name property.

Using View Components

View Components in Razor Pages allow you to encapsulate reusable UI logic. Create a new folder called Components in the Pages/Shared folder. Inside this folder, create a new file called WelcomeMessage.cshtml and add the following code:

@model WelcomeMessageModel
@Model.Message

Create a new file called WelcomeMessage.cshtml.cs in the same folder and add the following code:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;public class WelcomeMessageModel : ViewComponent{ public string Message { get; set; } public IViewComponentResult Invoke() { Message = "Welcome to My Razor Pages App!"; return View(); }}

Update the Index.cshtml file to use the View Component:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; Layout = "~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml"; }
@Model.Message

Working with Data

Razor Pages makes it easy to work with data. Let's add a simple model to represent a user. Create a new folder called Models in the project root and add a new file called User.cs:

public class User{ public int Id { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } public string Email { get; set; }}

Update the Index.cshtml.cs file to use the User model:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;using MyRazorPagesApp.Models;public class IndexModel : PageModel{ public string Message { get; set; } [BindProperty] public string Name { get; set; } public List Users { get; set; } public void OnGet() { Message = "Hello, Razor Pages!"; Users = new List { new User { Id = 1, Name = "John Doe", Email = "[emailprotected]" }, new User { Id = 2, Name = "Jane Smith", Email = "[emailprotected]" } }; } public void OnPost() { Message = $ "Hello, {Name}!"; }}

Update the Index.cshtml file to display the list of users:

@page@model IndexModel@{ ViewData["Title"] = "Welcome"; Layout = "~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml"; }
@Model.Message
List of Users
 @foreach (var user in Model.Users) { 
@user.Name - @user.Email
 }

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've just created a simple Razor Pages application. In this tutorial, we covered the basics of setting up a Razor Pages project, creating and managing Razor Pages, handling forms, using layouts and View Components, and working with data. Razor Pages is a powerful and flexible framework that allows you to build dynamic web applications quickly and efficiently.

FAQ

What is the difference between Razor Pages and MVC?

Razor Pages and MVC are both frameworks for building web applications in ASP.NET Core. Razor Pages is built on top of MVC but provides a simpler and more streamlined approach to creating pages. Razor Pages is page-focused, while MVC is controller-focused.

Can I use Razor Pages with other front-end frameworks?

Yes, you can use Razor Pages with other front-end frameworks like Angular, React, or Vue.js. Razor Pages can serve as the backend for these frameworks, providing RESTful APIs and dynamic content.

How do I deploy a Razor Pages application?

Deploying a Razor Pages application is similar to deploying any other ASP.NET Core application. You can deploy it to Azure, AWS, or any other hosting provider that supports .NET Core. The deployment process typically involves publishing the application and configuring the hosting environment.

Can I use Razor Pages for building SPAs?

While Razor Pages is primarily designed for server-rendered pages, you can use it in combination with client-side frameworks to build Single Page Applications (SPAs). Razor Pages can handle the initial server-side rendering and provide APIs for the client-side framework to consume.

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