ASP.NET MVC vs. Web API: Decoding the Differences

• ASP.NET MVC:

MVC (Model-View-Controller) is primarily used for building web applications with a focus on creating interactive web pages. It's ideal for applications with complex user interfaces.

It generates HTML output that's designed for web browsers, allowing you to create dynamic web pages by using Razor pages and Views.

Controllers in MVC handle user interactions, manage data, and control the flow of the application.When we create a MVC controller it inherits all the properties from Controller Class. Eg:- public class MVCController : Controller

MVC focuses on rendering views, which are HTML templates that display data to the user.

MVC uses routing to map URLs to controller actions and views. We can check the default routing path in RouteConfig.cs file. For Example:- name: "Default",

url: "{controller}/{action}/{id}",

defaults: new { controller = "CrudMVC", action = "Index", id=UrlParameter.Optional}

• ASP.NET Web API:

Web API, on the other hand, is designed for building RESTful APIs that can be consumed by various clients, such as web, mobile, or desktop applications.

It produces data in various formats, including JSON and XML, which is suitable for data exchange between client applications and servers.

Controllers in Web API are responsible for processing HTTP requests and returning data, making them ideal for building APIs.When we create a Api controller it inherits all the properties from ApiController Class. Eg:- public class AryaController : ApiController . We can not name the Api Controller as "ApiController"

Web API is centered around data transfer and doesn't deal with views or user interfaces.

Web API also employs routing but focuses on mapping URLs to controller actions for data retrieval and manipulation. We can check the default routing path in WebApiConfig.cs file. For Example:- config.Routes.MapHttpRoute(

        name: "DefaultApi",

        routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{id}",

        defaults: new { id = RouteParameter.Optional }

• Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the contrasting roles of ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Web API is pivotal. MVC thrives in crafting interactive web applications, while Web API excels in serving data to diverse client applications. Mastering both empowers developers to create robust and versatile web solutions.