Introduction:

Razor Pages is a popular web application framework that allows developers to create web applications using the .NET Core platform. It was introduced by Microsoft as a new way to build server-side web applications, and it has quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity and ease of use. Razor Pages is built on top of the Razor syntax, which is a template markup syntax that allows developers to create dynamic web pages using HTML, CSS, and C#.

In this article, we will explore the features of Razor Pages and how to build web applications using this framework.

Features of Razor Pages:

• Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture: Razor Pages is based on the MVC architecture, which separates the application into three components: the model, the view, and the controller. This allows for better organization and maintenance of the code.

• Lightweight and easy to use: Razor Pages is a lightweight framework that is easy to learn and use. It does not have the steep learning curve that other frameworks like ASP.NET have, making it a popular choice for beginners and small-scale projects.

• Flexible routing: With Razor Pages, developers have the flexibility to create custom routes that map to specific pages in the application. This allows for more user-friendly URLs and better search engine optimization.

• Integration with other .NET Core technologies: Razor Pages integrates well with other .NET Core technologies like Entity Framework Core, ASP.NET Core Identity, and SignalR, allowing developers to build complex web applications with ease.

Building a Razor Pages web application:

To build a Razor Pages web application, you will need to have the .NET Core SDK installed on your machine. Once you have the SDK installed, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a new project

Open Visual Studio and select "Create a new project" from the welcome screen. In the "Create a new project" dialog box, select "ASP.NET Core Web Application" and click "Next."

In the next screen, select "Razor Pages" as the project template, and click "Create." Visual Studio will create a new Razor Pages web application for you.

Step 2: Add a new Razor Page

To add a new Razor Page to your application, right-click on the "Pages" folder in the Solution Explorer and select "Add" > "New Razor Page."

In the "Add New Item" dialog box, select "Razor Page" as the item template, and give the page a name. Click "Add" to create the new Razor Page.

Step 3: Define a model

To define a model for your Razor Page, create a new class in the "Models" folder of your project. The model class should contain the properties that you want to display on the page.

For example, if you want to display a list of products on your page, create a "Product" class with properties like "Name," "Description," and "Price."

Step 4: Add a controller

To add a controller to your Razor Page, create a new class in the "Pages" folder of your project. The controller class should inherit from the "PageModel" class and contain methods that handle HTTP requests and responses.

For example, if you want to display a list of products on your page, create a "Product" controller with a method that retrieves the list of products from the database and passes it to the Razor Page.

Step 5: Create a view

To create a view for your Razor Page, add a new Razor Page in the "Pages" folder of your project. The view should contain HTML markup and Razor syntax that displays the model data on the page.

For example, if you want to display a list of products on your page, create a "Product" view with HTML markup and Razor syntax that displays the "Name, " "Description," and "Price" properties of each product in a table.

Step 6: Add routing

To add routing to your Razor Pages application, open the "Startup.cs" file in your project and add a new route to the "Configure" method.

For example, if you want to create a custom route for your "Product" page, add the following code to the "Configure" method:

app.UseEndpoints(endpoints =>
{
    endpoints.MapControllerRoute(
        name: "products",
        pattern: "products/{id?}",
        defaults: new { controller = "Product", action = "Index" });
});

This code maps the URL "/products" to the "Index" method of the "Product" controller, and also allows for an optional "id" parameter in the URL.

Step 7: Run the application

To run your Razor Pages application, press F5 or select "Debug" > "Start Debugging" from the Visual Studio menu. Visual Studio will build and launch the application in your default web browser.

Conclusion:

Razor Pages is a powerful and easy-to-use web application framework that is ideal for building small to medium-sized web applications. It offers a flexible routing system, integrates well with other .NET Core technologies, and follows the Model-View-Controller architecture for better organization and maintenance of the code.

With the steps outlined in this article, you can easily create a Razor Pages web application in Visual Studio and start building your own web pages with HTML, CSS, and C#.