Ebook Programming ASP.NET MVC 4

Get up and running with ASP.NET MVC 4, and learn how to build modern server-side web applications. This guide helps you understand how the framework performs, and shows you how to use various features to solve many real-world development scenarios you’re likely to face. In the process, you’ll learn how to work with HTML, JavaScript, the Entity Framework, and other web technologies.

You’ll start by learning core concepts such as the Model-View-Controller architectural pattern, and then work your way toward advanced topics. The authors demonstrate ASP.NET MVC 4 best practices and techniques by building a sample online auction site ("EBuy") throughout the book.

Learn the similarities between ASP.NET MVC 4 and Web Forms

Use Entity Framework to create and maintain an application database

Create rich web applications, using jQuery for client-side development

Incorporate AJAX techniques into your web applications

Learn how to create and expose ASP.NET Web API services

Deliver a rich and consistent experience for mobile devices

Apply techniques for error handling, automated testing, and build automation

Use various options to deploy your ASP.NET MVC 4 application

Table of Contents

Up and Running

Chapter 1 Fundamentals of ASP.NET MVC

Microsoft’s Web Development Platforms

The Model-View-Controller Architecture

What’s New in ASP.NET MVC 4?

Introduction to EBuy

Installing ASP.NET MVC

Creating an ASP.NET MVC Application

Routing

Controllers

Views

Models

Putting It All Together

Authentication

Summary

Chapter 2 ASP.NET MVC for Web Forms Developers

It’s All Just ASP.NET

More Differences than Similarities

Authoring ASP.NET MVC Views Using Web Forms Syntax

Summary

Chapter 3 Working with Data

Building a Form

Handling Form Posts

Saving Data to a Database

Validating Data

Summary

Chapter 4 Client-Side Development

Working with JavaScript

Selectors

Responding to Events

DOM Manipulation

AJAX

Client-Side Validation

Summary

Going to the Next Level

Chapter 5 Web Application Architecture

The Model-View-Controller Pattern

Architecting a Web Application

Design Principles

Don’t Repeat Yourself

Summary

Chapter 6 Enhancing Your Site with AJAX

Partial Rendering

JavaScript Rendering

Reusing Logic Across AJAX and Non-AJAX Requests

Sending Data to the Server

Cross-Domain AJAX

Summary

Chapter 7 The ASP.NET Web API

Building a Data Service

Paging and Querying Data

Exception Handling

Media Formatters

Summary

Chapter 8 Advanced Data

Data Access Patterns

Entity Framework Overview

Building a Data Access Layer

Sorting, Filtering, and Paging Data

Summary

Chapter 9 Security

Building Secure Web Applications

Securing an Application

Guarding Against Attacks

Summary

Chapter 10 Mobile Web Development

ASP.NET MVC 4 Mobile Features

Making Your Application Mobile Friendly

Improving Mobile Experience

Adaptive Rendering

Creating a New Mobile Application from Scratch

Summary

Going Above and Beyond

Chapter 11 Parallel, Asynchronous, and Real-Time Data Operations

Asynchronous Controllers

Real-Time Asynchronous Communication

Summary

Chapter 12 Caching

Types of Caching

Server-Side Caching Techniques

Client-Side Caching Techniques

Summary

Chapter 13 Client-Side Optimization Techniques

Anatomy of a Page

Best Practices

Measuring Client-Side Performance

Putting ASP.NET MVC to Work

Summary

Chapter 14 Advanced Routing

Wayfinding

URLs and SEO

Building Routes

Route Constraints

Attribute-Based Routing

Extending Routing

Summary

Chapter 15 Reusable UI Components

What ASP.NET MVC Offers out of the Box

Taking It a Step Further

Unit Testing Razor Views

Summary

Quality Control

Chapter 16 Logging

Error Handling in ASP.NET MVC

Logging and Tracing

Summary

Chapter 17 Automated Testing

The Semantics of Testing

Levels of Automated Testing

What Is an Automated Test Project?

Testing an ASP.NET MVC Application

Code Coverage

Developing Testable Code

Summary

Chapter 18 Build Automation

Creating Build Scripts

Automating the Build

Continuous Integration

Summary

Going Live

Chapter 19 Deployment

What Needs to Be Deployed

Deploying to Internet Information Server

Deploying to Windows Azure

Summary

Appendixes

Appendix ASP.NET MVC and Web Forms Integration

Choosing Between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Web Forms

Transitioning a Web Forms Site to ASP.NET MVC

Integrating Web Forms and ASP.NET MVC Functionality

Summary

Appendix Leveraging NuGet as a Platform

Installing the NuGet Command-Line Tool

Creating NuGet Packages

The Anatomy of a NuGet Package

Types of NuGet Packages

Tool Packages

Sharing Your NuGet Packages

Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls

Summary

Appendix Best Practices

Use the NuGet Package Manager to Manage Dependencies

Depend on Abstractions

Avoid the New Keyword

Avoid Referring to HttpContext Directly (Use HttpContextBase)

Avoid “Magic Strings”

Prefer Models over ViewData

Do Not Write HTML in “Backend” Code

Do Not Perform Business Logic in Views

Consolidate Commonly Used View Snippets with Helper Methods

Prefer Presentation Models over Direct Usage of Business Objects

Encapsulate if Statements with HTML Helpers in Views

Prefer Explicit View Names

Prefer Parameter Objects over Long Lists of Parameters

Encapsulate Shared/Common Functionality, Logic, and Data with Action Filters or Child Actions (Html.RenderAction)

Prefer Grouping Actions into Controllers Based on How They Relate to Business Concepts

Avoid Grouping Actions into Controllers Based on Technical Relation

Prefer Placing Action Filters at the Highest Appropriate Level

Prefer Multiple Views (and/or Partial Views) over Complex If-Then-Else Logic That Shows and Hides Sections

Prefer the Post-Redirect-Get Pattern When Posting Form Data

Prefer Startup Tasks over Logic Placed in Application_Start (Global.asax)

Prefer Authorize Attribute over Imperative Security Checks

Prefer Using the Route Attribute over More Generic Global Routes

Consider Using an Antiforgery Token to Avoid CSRF Attacks

Consider Using the AcceptVerbs Attribute to Restrict How Actions May Be Called

Consider Output Caching

Consider Removing Unused View Engines

Consider Custom ActionResults for Unique Scenarios

Consider Asynchronous Controllers for Controller Tasks That Can Happen in Parallel

Appendix Cross-Reference: Targeted Topics, Features, and Scenarios

Index

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