The Difference between ASP dotNet and Open Source Platforms

Nowadays, a developer has option to choose from several server-side web application frameworks. Some developers opt for popular open source technologies like PHP to reduce the project cost, whereas others opt for commercial platforms to avail additional features and benefits. Despite being a commercial platform, ASP.Net is being used widely by programmers to rapidly develop dynamic websites. However, each developer must compare ASP.Net with some other open source web development technologies based on the specific needs of the internet application development project.

Key Differences between ASP.NET and Other Open Source Internet Technologies

Performance

The performance of a web application depends on the interaction between the script, database and web server. The ASP.Net developers have option to choose from several databases including MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL). However, the ASP.NET+MSSQL stack needs to be optimized to improve the performance of the web application. On the other hand, open source technologies like PHP use the LAMP stack that comprises Linux (OS), Apache (server), MySQL (database) and PHP (scripting language).

Scalability

ASP.Net is more scalable than some of the open source web technologies. The highly scalable nature of the framework makes it suitable for building dynamic and high-traffic internet applications. ASP.Net is also used to build the popular social networking platform MySpace. However, the developers are required to scale the application according to the size of the traffic.

Support for Programming Languages

In comparison to other open source frameworks, ASP.Net supports more programming language. The ASP.Net developers have option to write code in C#, VB.Net, Ruby, Python and PHP. They also have option to use other programming languages compatible with .NET platform. Thus, a programmer can switch to ASP.Net without learning a new programming language.

Support for Multiple Platforms

You have option to use some of the open source implementations of Microsoft’s .NET Frameworks. But ASP.Net applications are designed primarily by targeting the Windows operating system. Microsoft has further integrated the .NET framework into its operating system to facilitate ASP.Net application development and deployment. At the same time, the applications developed using open source web technologies like PHP can target multiple operating systems including Microsoft Windows.

Development Tools and Editors

ASP.Net is supported by several IDEs and frameworks. The ASP.Net developers can further use Microsoft Visual Studio to build rich internet applications without writing longer lines of code. In addition to being feature-rich and powerful, Microsoft Visual Studio is more flexible than other open source IDEs. However, you have to incur additional expensed to avail the features of Visual Studio. On the other hand, there are option to choose from a variety of open source IDEs and editors for PHP application development.

Ease of Deployment

ASP.Net requires the code to be compiled each time any changes are made into it. Also, the developers are required to write additional lines of code to accomplish complex features and functionality. Thus, ASP.Net applications need more time to get deployed properly. But the open source technologies enable developers to deploy the web application quickly without writing any additional code.

Support

Unlike other open source scripting languages, ASP.Net lacks the support of a large and active community of developers. In addition to contributing towards the development of the open source scripting language, the huge community of developers is also helpful to beginners. However, you will find many online discussion forums and developer boards created by ASP.NET enthusiasts. The beginners can visit these online developer boards to avail the required assistance.

Within a very short span of time, Microsoft has already open sourced several .Net programming languages and developer frameworks. Recently, the company revealed its plan to launch a new .Net Foundation to manage the open sourced technologies. With Microsoft outsourcing more and more .Net technologies, the web developers can now use ASP.Net without inflating the overall project overheads. To get maximum benefits of .Net, you may consider hiring services of a certified .net development company.

We provide .net development services. If you would like to hire asp.net developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.