I like having control over exactly what's going on under the hood (the MVC way), but I'm also lazy, and don't like writing tons of javascript GUI things. Should I or should I not switch to MVC? Thanks, Nestor
A:
If you're looking for easy to use UI controls, jQuery would provide more functionality than MVC.
skalburgi
2009-10-04 21:27:41
What is that supposed to mean ? jQuery is a client-side framework, while ASP.NET MVC is a server-side framework. Comparing them is a nonsense...
Thomas Levesque
2009-10-04 21:34:28
and just to add to Thomas' criticism: jQuery does, in fact, ship with ASP.NET MVC as the client-side library of choice, so you get jQuery with ASP.NET MVC anyway.
Rob Levine
2009-10-04 21:39:49
Wow, this (answer) shows very little understanding of the MVC framework.
griegs
2009-10-04 21:44:22
+7
A:
Yes you should. WebForms is a big leaky abstraction that try to convince you that writing Web applications is like writing Windows application, which is false.
Managing PostBack is a pain for one. It generates a lot of garbage code in your HTML.
Michaël Larouche
2009-10-04 21:28:55
+1 I agree 100 percent. I predict that Web Forms will soon be thought of as legacy code.
Chuck Conway
2009-10-04 21:38:23
+1. PostBack has cost me many, many hours of frustration and debugging. Originally I found that writting code within the page took me back to the old asp days but once you get over that, and only return data that requires little UI coding, it's just the best. And no page life cycle to contend with such as having to re-create all your controls again just to get their values out!
griegs
2009-10-04 21:47:05
+2
A:
ASP.NET MVC is definitely worth to know! You will have total control over your html, will learn many good habits and will explore the fantastic world of jquery.
At last give it a try... it is good to be learning something new regularly.
twk
2009-10-04 21:32:03
+8
A:
It depends. If you are good at writing Webforms applications, you have lots of ASP.NET server controls already at your disposal, and you don't need a lot of finesse (read: code behind) in your application, then Webforms is probably a better choice.
On the other hand, if you like applications that are highly performant and cleanly architected, need precise control over your markup, and would like your application to be testable, then ASP.NET MVC is a better choice.
There are lots of easy to use JQuery widgets available for ASP.NET MVC, so your dislike of Javascript shouldn't hold you back. But there is a learning curve to MVC, so if you are averse to learning new things, I would stick with Webforms.
Robert Harvey
2009-10-04 21:33:40
Mostly agree (+1), with the caveat the webforms performance outpaces mvc on small to medium corporate intranets where viewstate is an asset rather than a liability.
Joel Coehoorn
2009-10-04 21:43:11
If you are adverse to learning new things, you need to start looking for a new career, software development is about learning new things.
Chuck Conway
2009-10-04 21:44:03
@Joel Good observation with the ViewState and intranet performance.
Chuck Conway
2009-10-04 21:47:31
+1
A:
If you are writing complex websites where the functionality you are trying to deliver has echos of classic Windows applications then I find that WebForms can be the best bet. Certainly ViewState can be (and often is) wielded without regard for the consequences (large postbacks etc). However the quality of most WebForms controls, and more recently the addition of the ListView control make it a very productive platform.
On the other hand, if you are crafting websites in conjunction with a design team who are specifying the exact HTML to render and the actual functionality is less complex then MVC can be great. MVC also pushes you down a coding model that is by default more suited to testability. There are lots of jQuery plug-ins that deliver rich UI features without lengthy coding but I have had minor quality issues with a few of the plug-ins I have used. Also most of the time I don't need choice of watermark or calendar controls - I just want one that works!
In summary - I think it depends on whether you are writing a web site or a web application.
Richard Ev
2009-10-04 21:46:01
A:
You could also consider the MVP (Model View Presenter) pattern: It gives you the same separation of logic and presentation as MVC, while it still allows you use the ASP.NET server controls.
"Model View Presenter", article from MSDN Magazine.
Model-View-Presenter Pattern from the Web Client Software Factory documentation on MSDN.
Jakob Gade
2009-10-05 01:37:35