To create a web app, .NET developers will have many choices on tools. But here we just narrow down 10 essential tools that .NET developers might demand at work and at home. These tools are helpful to build and maintain a first-level web app. They are also useful to ease work of .NET developers and make them more productive.
To know the 10 tools, please check out below:
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is the #1 essential tool for every .NET developer everywhere. It almost contains everything for .NET developers to develop, test and debug web applications, websites, and web services.
Visual Studio 2015, the latest product, makes it possible for .NET developers to create web applications on any platform like Windows, Android, and iOS. Moreover, it improves productivity by integrating editors, designers, profilers and debuggers into one single place.
In addition, Visual Studio supports diverse scripts, some of which are Visual Basic, VB.NET, Visual C#, Visual J#, C, C++, even Python, Ruby, HTML, and much more. What’s more, Visual Studio is much extensible since it accepts thousand of extensions.
SQL Server Management Studio
SQL Server Management Studio is a software application. It integrates functions of Query Analyzer, Enterprise Manager and Analysis Manager into single environment. SQL Server Management Studio also has a wide range of graphical tools and rich script editors. Therefore, .NET developers at all skill levels could access SQL Server and administrate each component of SQL Server via SQL Server Management Studio.
SQL Server Management Studio also has an “Express” version for .NET developers to download at no cost.
LINQPad
LINQPad is used to query SQL databases which use LINQ, C#, F# and VB. Especially, LINQPad shows its importance when it deals with complex data queries. Additionally, LINQPad is also great for instant program test. Besides functionality advantages, this software is super lightweight at single 8MB. Its standard edition is for free as well.
SQL Server Profiler
SQL Server Profiler, a graphical user interface, is used to create and administrate SQL trace. The events that are generated within an instance of SQL Server Database Engine will be captured and stored in a trace file. More importantly, SQL Server profiler has a functionality of analysis on trace results, so that .NET developers could use it to easily diagnose problems like slow-running queries. They can even find out which procedure is affecting performance.
Active Query Builder for .NET
Active Query Builder for .NET consists of the visual SQL query builder, text editor, and SQL parser. It is the best choice when .NET developers need to build complex SQL queries or programmatic analysis when they want to provide end users with an easy way to find and get the right data, when data is hidden in the interior of relational databases.
ASP.NET MVC
According to the information we have, many .NET developers are benefiting from ASP.NET MVC (Model-View-Controller). It is a framework to enable .NET developers a patterns-based and fast way to create dynamic websites. MVC separates an application into 3 parts:
Models – the core of an application, handling the logic for the application data;
Views – used to showcase user interface of an application;
Controllers – aimed at controlling user interaction while it partners with models and views.
MVC is a great alternative of traditional Web Forms sometimes. Especially MVC takes it much easier to test applications. If .NET developers desire full control over the behavior of applications, MVC is better as well.
NAnt
NAnt is an open-source automation building tool based on .NET. In practice, it much resembles Apache Ant, but NAnt runs in .NET environment. So, this tool generally requires .NET Frameworks or a Mono platform. NAnt owns considerable built-in tasks, but at the same time, it is much extensible with codes in any .NET language.
jQuery
jQuery is a JavaScript library with rich features and easy-to-use API. The API could be run on a variety of browsers. As to jQuery, it makes things much simpler, like event handling, HTML document traversal and manipulation, animation, and Ajax. Since jQuery was launched, it has gradually changed the way that developers write JavaScript.
Convert C# to VB.NET and VB.NET to C#
Almost every .NET developer is in somewhere they need to convert VB to C# or C# to VB. The following 2 tools are going to help them in an easy way.
- Instant C#: VB to C# Converter
- Instant VB: C# TO VB Converter
Both tools have free editions that respectively support VB TO C# or C# to VB up to 2,000 lines. The tools ensure maximum accuracy. They generate helpful warnings, notes and how to do comments as well.
ASP.NET Version Switcher
ASP.NET Version Switcher is a handy utility for fast switching .NET Framework versions. This tool is quite useful for .NET developers who need to often test compatibility of their web applications against different .NET Framework versions.
Looking for ASP.NET hosting?
While choosing a new web host, make sure you don’t make the same common mistakes that most beginners do. A few of my favorite web hosts are ASPHostPortal, HostForLIFE, UKWindowsHostASP.NET. I recently reviewed ASPHostPortal and in my opinion, they’re the best-shared host out there out of the large lot of hosts I’ve tested. If you’re curious as to why I never had to switch to another host since 2014, give my ASPHostPortal review a read.
A great place to look for a new web host is WebHostingTalk. Their members are very helpful and new members get proper guidance on choosing a web host.