ASP.NET Core 8 MVC Application Tutorial

Overview

• Beginner-friendly tutorial to create an ASP.NET Core 8 MVC application from scratch.
• Perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations using a SQL Server database and Entity Framework Core.

Application Setup

• Create a New Project
  • Use the ASP.NET Core MVC template in Visual Studio.
  • Set up project and solution names, e.g., StudentPortal.
  • Choose .NET 8 for long-term support.

Key Features

• Student Management
  • Add, view, edit, and delete student records.
  • Fields include Name, Email, Phone, and Subscribed option.

Tools and Technologies

• Entity Framework Core

  • Used as a micro-ORM to manage SQL Server database interactions.
  • Install necessary NuGet packages for SQL Server and tools.

• Bootstrap

  • For styling HTML elements.

Steps to Build the Application

1. Project Initialization

• Create a new ASP.NET Core MVC application.
• Configure project settings and select the MVC template.

2. Set Up Entity Framework Core

• Install Packages
  • Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer for SQL Server support.
  • Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools for migrations.
• Create DbContext Class
  • Acts as a bridge between the application and the database.
  • Set up a DbSet for students.

3. CRUD Operations

• Create

  • Implement an "Add Student" page.
  • Use a form to capture name, email, phone, and subscription status.
  • Post data to the server to create a new student.

• Read

  • Display a list of all students on a dedicated page.
  • Use Entity Framework to retrieve data from the database.
  • Use a table to show student data.

• Update

  • Create an edit page to update existing student records.
  • Bind form inputs to student properties.
  • Save changes back to the database.

• Delete

  • Implement functionality to delete a student.
  • Add a delete button on the edit page.

4. Implementing Views

• Add Student View

  • Use ASP.NET Razor syntax to bind form inputs to student properties.

• List View

  • Display a list of students.
  • Include options to edit or delete each student.

• Edit View

  • Display individual student details.
  • Allow modifications and update actions.

5. Entity Framework Core Migrations

• Run migrations to create and update database schema.
• Use Package Manager Console to execute migration commands.

Additional Considerations

• Model Binding
  • Use view models to handle form data and bind it to views.
• Error Handling
  • Implement checks for null values or invalid data.

Conclusion

• Successfully implemented CRUD operations using ASP.NET Core 8 MVC and Entity Framework Core.
• Provided a structured approach to building web applications using modern tools and technologies.

Further Learning

• Check out the ASP.NET Core MVC course on Udemy for advanced topics such as authentication, authorization, and other features.