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2017/5/3

VS 2017, .NET Core, and JavaScript Frameworks, Oh My!

By Phil Japikse

After finishing the most recent edition of C# 6.0 and the .NET 4.6 Framework, my editor and I were discussing what project to take on next. ASP.NET 5 (as it was called then) was in its very early stages, and the proliferation of JavaScript frameworks for client side development was taking off at an incredible pace.

I looked at the Angular tutorials, and back then, they were not geared for the .NET developer. All of the samples seemed to be based on Node and other tooling not traditionally in the Microsoft ecosystem.

That’s when the idea struck me: Write a book that builds out an application using (what is now called) .NET Core, starting with Entity Framework Core, a RESTful service created with ASP.NET Core, and a ASP.NET Core MVC front end. This would showcase an end to end application for .NET developers to come up to speed with the new paradigm of .NET Core.

Then, the second half of the book would focus on the JavaScript world. After starting with a chapter on TypeScript for clean JavaScript development, the next chapter focuses on client side tooling, such as WebPack to smooth out the development process. Finally, the same site that was built using ASP.NET Core MVC would be developed using Angular 2 and then React.

Thus was born the new book Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2017: Using .NET Core and Modern JavaScript Frameworks. While not meant to be a point/counterpoint type of book, it does demonstrate how to use Angular2 and React with a known domain – backed by the ASP.NET Core RESTful service developed in the beginning of the book, the reader can then learn Angular 2 and React in the comfortable confines of the .NET world, using what is familiar to speed the learning process.

Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2017 will be published in August 2017, and I hope you enjoy it! Meanwhile, here’s an exclusive sample of chapter 1, “Introducing Entity Framework Core,” to tide you over. This chapter introduces .NET Core, gets started with Entity Framework Core, and will prepare you to build the application throughout the remainder of the book.

About the Author

Phil Japikse is an international speaker, Microsoft MVP, ASPInsider, MCSD, CSM, and CSP, and a passionate member of the developer community. Phil has been working with .NET since the first betas, developing software for over 30 years, and heavily involved in the agile community since 2005. Phil is a co-author of the best selling C# and the .NET 4.6 Framework, the Lead Director for the Cincinnati .NET User’s Group and the Cincinnati Software Architect Group, co-hosts the Hallway Conversations podcast, founded the Cincinnati Day of Agile, and volunteers for the National Ski Patrol. Phil is also a published author with LinkedIn Learning. During the day, Phil works as an Enterprise Consultant and Agile Coach for large to medium firms throughout the US. Phil enjoys to learn new tech and is always striving to improve his craft. You can follow Phil on Twitter (@skimedic) and read his blog.

Co-authors of Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2017:

Kevin Grossnicklaus at one point in his career Kevin was the youngster on most development teams. He got his start developing with Visual Studio and managed .NET code during the early beta cycles in 2001. In 2009, Kevin started his own software product development firm called ArchitectNow (www.architectnow.net). At ArchitectNow, Kevin and his team specialize in a wide variety of tools while delivering applications across a variety of cloud and mobile platforms.

Ben Dewey is a former Microsoft MVP, and published author with over 18 years of experience writing applications and continually striving to create SOLID applications of the highest craftsmanship while paying special attention to clean User Experiences (UX). Ben is currently Creative Director at Tallan, Inc. and consults regularly in New York City and around the country on web- and cloud-based technologies.

Want more? Find more in depth information in Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2017 by Phil Japikse, Ben Dewey, and Kevin Grossnicklaus, ISBN: 978-1-4842-2477-9.