ASP.NET MVC Overview
ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller) is a framework for building dynamic web applications on the .NET platform. It introduced a clean separation of concerns, Razor syntax, routing, and strong support for unit testing. While Microsoft now focuses on ASP.NET Core MVC, many enterprise applications still run on ASP.NET MVC 5.
Key Features of ASP.NET MVC
- Model-View-Controller pattern: Separates application logic, UI, and data handling.
- Razor syntax: Simplifies embedding C# code in HTML views.
- Routing: Provides clean, SEO-friendly URLs.
- Unit testing: Strong support for test-driven development.
- Extensibility: Easy integration with JavaScript frameworks and libraries.
ASP.NET MVC in 2025
ASP.NET MVC 5 is considered legacy but remains widely used in enterprise environments. Many portals and business systems continue to run on MVC because they are stable and proven. However, new projects should use ASP.NET Core MVC, which offers modern features, cross-platform support, and better performance.
Migrating to ASP.NET Core MVC
Migration from MVC 5 to ASP.NET Core MVC does not require a full rewrite. Microsoft provides tools to migrate side-by-side into .NET 8 or newer, enabling:
- Improved performance (30% faster garbage collection in .NET 8)
- Cross-platform hosting (Windows, Linux, Docker-native)
- Access to modern C# features (C# 13 and beyond)
- Lower cloud costs compared to IIS-bound legacy apps
Best Practices
- Continue running MVC 5 apps if stable, but plan for modernization.
- Use ASP.NET Core MVC for new projects.
- Consider side-by-side migration to .NET 8+ rather than full rewrites.
- Leverage unit testing and modern DevOps pipelines for MVC apps.