Worth using ASP.Net MVC for hobby project?

Question

Hi all

I'm quite a proficient ASP.Net Web Forms developer, but I would like to get some exposure to MVC to see what it's like and if there are benefits to using it.

Is it worth using MVC for a hobby project, my main concerns are:

• It may hinder development times of the website
• I may not appreciate any rewards for using MVC (i.e. testability)

Are my concerns reasonable?

Thanks

Answer 1

A hobby project may in fact be a perfect introduction to MVC if you want to learn it. I thoroughly recommend having a play. If you haven't used MVC before I wouldn't attempt it for a large scale project, smaller projects like you may be undertaking are great stepping stones for learning the new framework.

Of course, you've got to weigh up hindrance against progress. The time taken may hinder this project, but in the long term, getting an introductory exposure now has got to out weigh that?

Answer 2

Why not?

You say it's a pet project, so time is not really an issue. Given a good book, or based on the examples on the ASP.NET site, you should be able to get up to speed fairly quickly.

Testability is one of the strong points for ASP.NET MVC, so maybe you should try writing tests and decoupling your views from business logic? Who knows, you may like it. Either way, doing so will allow you to claim personal experience of using a new technology on your CV, plus learning something new is always fun.

Answer 3

You'll learn from it and can then take it into a work situation. And besides that, it's nicer to work with than web forms...

Answer 4

I certainly wouldn't want my first venture into a new technology to be a live project so I'd certainly recommend starting a hobby project.

Throughout your first development in ASP.NET MVC you will probably make architectural mistakes whilst you get used to the MVC pattern. You will also find yourself without much of the WebForms functionality and will need to think about how best to apply your design to the technology.

Essentially, you'll learn whether it is worth using it or not throughout the project. A decent rule-of-thumb is that any project that will take you more than a couple of months development time will probably be better developed with MVC.

Answer 5

I started a hobby-project earlier this year in ASP.NET MVC (later upgraded to MVC2), and it's the single best learning experience I've had the last few years.

So my answer is a definite 'YES'

Do it, and try to exploit as much of the features in MVC2 as possible. Strive to do things as simple and reusable as humanly (or maybe technically) possible, and you'll be a master in MVC2 in no time :D

Answer 6

Just to add to the above, I too would recommend you play with MVC. I've found that I'm actually more productive in MVC than in Web Forms.

In case you have not found this tutorial, highly recommended as a beginners guide and written by Scott Guthrie:

Html Version

PDF Version

Answer 7

Check out the videos on TekPub (though they're not free) if you need more info on asp.net mvc. They're very informative and helped me quite bit. (No i am not a Rob Conery alt).