ASP.NET
Classic ASP - Active Server Pages (Dynamic Server Pages)
ASP, short for Active Server Pages (Dynamic Server Pages), also known as Classic ASP, was introduced in 1998 as Microsoft's first server-side scripting engine.
ASP is a technology that allows scripts in web pages to be executed on an Internet server.
ASP pages have a file extension of .asp and are typically written in VBScript.
If you want to learn Classic ASP, please visit our Classic ASP Tutorial.
ASP.NET
ASP.NET is the next generation of ASP. It is not compatible with Classic ASP, but ASP.NET may include Classic ASP.
ASP.NET pages are compiled, which makes them run faster than Classic ASP.
ASP.NET offers better language support, a large set of user controls and XML-based components, and integrates user authentication.
ASP.NET pages have an extension of .aspx and are usually written in VB (Visual Basic) or C# (C sharp).
Controls in ASP.NET can be written in different languages, including C++ and Java.
When a browser requests an ASP.NET file, the ASP.NET engine reads the file, compiles and executes the script, and returns the result as a regular HTML page to the browser.
ASP.NET Razor
Razor is a new, simple markup syntax for embedding server code in ASP.NET web pages, similar to Classic ASP.
Razor has the functionality of traditional ASP.NET but is easier to use and learn.
ASP.NET Programming Languages
This tutorial covers the following programming languages:
Visual Basic (VB.NET)
C# (pronounced: C sharp)
ASP.NET Server Technologies
This tutorial covers the following server technologies:
Web Pages (Razor syntax)
MVC (Model-View-Controller)
Web Forms (traditional ASP.NET)
ASP.NET Development Tools
ASP.NET supports the following development tools:
WebMatrix
Visual Web Developer
Visual Studio
In this tutorial, the Web Pages tutorial uses WebMatrix, while the MVC and Web Forms tutorials use Visual Web Developer.
ASP.NET File Extensions
Classic ASP files have a file extension of .asp
ASP.NET files have a file extension of .aspx
ASP.NET files with Razor C# syntax have a file extension of .cshtml
ASP.NET files with Razor VB syntax have a file extension of .vbhtml