.NET is a Framework from Microsoft, introduced in 2001 that makes it easier to build applications that cross platforms and hardware. It does this by providing a consistent and powerful set of classes and interfaces that abstract away differences of architecture and allow developers to use the right languages and tools that work for them. A large base class library that includes features such as data and file access, user interface features, cryptography and more, opens up the power of the Windows operating system. The applications are run in a safe runtime engine called the CLR, which handles security, memory management, exception handling and more. In this course we will take a look at how the .NET framework is built and what you need to know to make the most of it.

Microsoft introduced ASP.NET as a way to organize and write web applications and services using the .NET framework. Originally released with the WebForms pattern, which takes a control based drag and drop approach to designing a web page, it has since included many new technologies like MVC which support scaffolding, and WebAPI to handle RESTful requests. While these new technologies are quite powerful and deliver new ways of writing code, the challenge has been how to integrate them and build one solution. With that in mind, in .NET 4.5.1 and Visual Studio 2013 Microsoft has been pushing a new unified template for web projects called OneASP.NET. With this new template developers can create web solutions that start with WebForms, but include MVC features. Or a WebAPI site that adds WebForms. Additionally there is a new identity story that simplifies and modernizes how we handle authentication and profile data. Developers now have the choice of whether to use public identity like twitter or facebook, or use Active Directory, in addition to the old standbys. Lets dive into what's new for web developers with an overview of ASP.NET.

Building applications for Windows has never been easier or more intuitive. With the latest advances in the tooling, as well as new features in the Windows interface, developers can get a head start in building compelling solutions. In this course we'll look at what's new in the .NET framework 4.5.1, as well as Visual Studio 2013 for building Windows applications, both on the desktop and in what is now called "Modern Windows Apps". We will see how we can share code, and debugging and test our apps, and the see how the new Performance and Diagnostics hub makes analyzing application performance characteristics a breeze.