Choosing between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Webforms

Choosing between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Webforms

 

In general, choosing between ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET can be based on the following five criteria:

1. Are you considering test-driven development (TDD)?
TDD enables you to write tests for an application first, after which the application logic is developed. An ASP.NET Webforms application uses only one class to display output and handle user input. Automated testing of this class is complex as you are required to load the full ASP.NET stack into a separate process (for example, in IIS). The MVC framework allows the testing of each component separately, without requiring the full ASP.NET stack. For example, you can test your model separately from your controller without requiring a view. If you are considering TDD, the ASP.NET MVC framework will be the better choice.

2. Is there a need for fine control over HTML markup?
ASP.NET Webforms automatically inserts hidden HTML markup, IDs, JavaScript, and so on, into your page's HTML output because of its
event‑driven architecture and its use of ViewState. The ASP.NET MVC framework allows for 100% control over the HTML output. If you require full control over your HTML markup, the ASP.NET MVC framework will be the better choice.

3. Is the application heavily data-driven?
If you are developing an application that is heavily data-driven and is using grids or a lot of master-detail editing of data, ASP.NET Webforms may be the better choice as it provides a lot of controls that will aid you in the development of these kind of applications. Of course, you can use the ASP.NET MVC framework for these tasks too, but you will be required to write more code to achieve the same goal.

4. Is there a need for a Winforms-like development approach?
Does your development team write Winforms code? Is there a need for an event-driven programming approach? In these cases, consider ASP.NET Webforms in favor of ASP.NET MVC.

5. Is there a need for a rapid application development (RAD) development approach?
Does your client expect a quick prototype of an application? Is the use of drag-and-drop development using pre-created web controls required? If so, consider ASP.NET Webforms in favor of ASP.NET MVC.