In the previous article, Creating a basic ASP.NET MVC Application-Part I we discussed about creating a User Interface to a Model defined as Student. Then we build and run the application. Going back to the application, The Controller named StudentController calls the Index method so, the Index.cshtml of the Student sub-folder in the Views folder will be deployed. In the Index.cshtml view, we do have referred the Student Model in the Models folder.
As I said in the previous article Getting Started with ASP.NET MVC 3, Models implements the logic of data domain of an application. It defines the way how the data should interact with the users of the system. In another way, ASP.NET models assure that the data are in the appropriate format before it gets inserted or retrieved from a database. It does not mean that the Databases are the only interacting component of the model. Users can simply create data objects as well. The beauty of MVC 3 is that it facilitates the Model to be modeled with Entity Framework. So it can be done within a few clicks.
As all of you know, ASP.NET is one of the most powerful and secured technologies for web related development. It has a higher penetration as well as an increasing demand towards it. Higher security capabilities, ease of development and maintenance, flexibility and scalability are some of the reasons for lot of reputed companies in the world to selecting ASP.NET for their solutions. Model-View-Controller design pattern is one of the highly used design patterns in today’s world. The simplest basic behind this is dividing the application in to three components named Model,View and Controller. ASP.NET MVC Framework is a framework that supports the development based on MVC design pattern with a lot more enhanced set of features. It provides the developer the capabilities of developing a web application with a less amount of coding that needed to be done manually.
The topic looks much controversial. Isn’t it? Microsoft, the largest software vendor in the world will be spending millions and billions up to maximum possible extent to build up the largest client base. Apple was a threat to Microsoft a few months ago and it seems that threatening remains same. But, Microsoft has approached something exceptional that Apple even could not think. Since early 2000s, Microsoft’s marketing strategy has been much more towards earning people over earning dollars. The best suitable phrase might be retaining people than earning people.
Since open source technologies looked to threaten the Microsoft Technologies, Microsoft yet conquers as the giant most areas. That is because they have found the languages that speak with people’s hearts while innovating the languages that communicate with machines. Few years ago, every middle class person was looking to buy a Nokia Phone. But today, the Nokia market has dropped down. But they still remember the name Nokia. Still they are the best suitable mobile phones for a middle class person. Nokia always lead their reputation with factors such like usability, durability and affordability. Microsoft expects to introduce Windows Phone to Nokia within couple of months where Windows phone was one of the major fall downs that Microsoft ever made. Let’s see the way how both stand together.
Microsoft Imagine Cup is one of the world’s most popular competitions for the students in background of Information Technology. This year’s project theme was “Use technology to Solve World’s Toughest Problems”. Microsoft gave Millennium Development Goals declared by the United Nations and the theme continued for around three to four years. Since the development goals are to be achieved in year 2015, I am afraid the theme will be there until 2014.
We also took part in this competition and got selected to semi-finals, but unfortunately we could not made it into finals. It was something innovative and a Maternal and Child Health Management System. Since I am a Microsoft Student Ambassador, I took part of the final event organizing as well. We decorated the hall, which was the Civil Auditorium of University of Moratuwa and presented in the event as spectators. The projects were fantastic and the crowd was really interested about them. I was afraid by that time a person will stand up and ask to sponsor for one of the projects.
The team representing IIT did an excellent presentation and it was fantastic the way how the speaker defended in the Q and A session. As usual The Faculty of Information Technology, University of Moratuwa came up with and excellent presentation and the crowd was so much impressed there. The first time I saw such a great marketing strategy in a presentation.
Finally, the team representing University of Peradeniya won the Imagine Cup 2011, Sri lankan Software design competition but I cannot give any comments on that since I was sleeping all the time during their presentation. IIt became 2nd and FIT,UOM became third.
