Over the last few decades, Microsoft has expanded its solutions including programming language, web-application framework. C sharp and ASP.NET are two products developed by Microsoft Corporation.
These two are widely used and are significantly important tools for developers. These two are interrelated and are very easy to learn.
There are several fundamental differences between C sharp and ASP.NET which make these two distinct from each other.
Key Takeaways
- C# is a programming language, while ASP.NET is a web application framework that uses various programming languages, including C#.
- C# focuses on general-purpose programming, whereas ASP.NET specifically targets web development.
- ASP.NET enables the creation of dynamic web pages, while C# can be used for various applications beyond web development.
C Sharp vs ASP.NET
The difference between C sharp and ASP.NET is that C sharp refers to a general-purpose, simple and object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft. This language can be ported to many devices and tech stacks. ASP.NET, on the other hand, is a server-side technology that is used for developing dynamic web pages and web applications. It produces data-driven, interactive web applications on the Internet.
In 2001 C sharp programming language was first developed by Microsoft Corporation. It was developed with the aim of combining the C ++ with Visual Basic’s programming ease.
It has some similar features to Java and is based on C ++. It is designed to work with the .NET platform of Microsoft.
C sharp simplifies programming language by using SOAP and XML that helps to access a programming method or object without writing additional code on each step.
ASP.NET refers to an open-source web framework that was developed by Microsoft. It was developed for building advanced web services and applications with the help of. NET.
ASP.NET works as a cross-platform running on Windows, Linux, Docker, and macOS. It extends the .NET platform with libraries and tools mainly for developing web applications.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | C Sharp | ASP.NET |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Programming language | Open source web framework |
| Standardization | Designed and developed by Microsoft but later ECMA standardized it. | Developed by Microsoft. |
| Operating system | Supports almost every major operating system. | Supports macOS, Windows, Microsoft, and Linux. |
| License | Licensed under General Public License. | Run under Apache 2.0. |
| Integrated tools | .NET, Sentry, .NET Core, Snyk. Imgix. | .NET Core, Owin, Serilog, DevExtreme, Ocelot, Seq. |
| Company using it | Microsoft, Accenture, Delivery Hero SE, Hepsiburada. | Mews, ROBLOX, Alibaba Group, Slack. MasterCard, Via Varejo. |
What is C Sharp?
C sharp refers to a strongly typed object-oriented high-level programming language. It is considered an open-source programming language that is versatile, flexible, simple, and modern.
C sharp programming language was first developed by Anders Hejlsberg of Microsoft in 2000. Later this language was recognized as an international standard in 2002 by Ecmain and in 2003 by ISO.
C sharp was developed for easily learning and supporting modern functionalities of all types of software development in comparison to other high-level programming languages, C sharp is very fast. It works on various platforms.
You can easily develop .NET applications that can run on Linux, Mac computers, and Windows.
C sharp applications can also be deployed in the containers and cloud. It is a very safe programming language that does not allow any type of conversions which can cost data loss or other security issues.
It allows users to write safe code and also focuses on writing efficient code.
C sharp programming language can create a range of applications and programs. This programming language is very versatile and used in mainly 3 fields- Windows application, Web application development, and game development.
Regardless of the platform, it is used for building dynamic web applications and websites using .NET or other open-source platforms.it is also used in developing Windows applications. C sharp makes the development process run smoothly.
C sharp is extensively used in game development. It is beneficial for developing fan-favorite games.
In addition, the Unity game engine is written in C sharp language.
What is ASP.NET?
ASP, in ASP.NET, stands for Active Server Pages. It is a development framework that is used for building web pages and it allows programmers to develop dynamic web applications, websites, and web services.
It is merely an upgraded version of ASP, rather it is an enhanced and re-engineered technology that provides more than the conventional ASP.
ASP.NET web forms contain a code-behind file that has all the event-handling codes. It inherits the class written in code behind.
It uses a fully-fledged programming language that allows designs, even, classes altogether. ASP.NET web applications are configurable.
It also has an ADO.NET which supports XML integration and integration of data from 2 or more data sources.
The architecture of ASP.NET is based on 3 key components- language, library, and common language runtime.
- The three major languages that ASP.NET uses for communication with a computer are C sharp, F sharp, and VB.NET.
- The library is the pre-written class or a coded template that a developer uses while developing a web application. Web library is mostly used in ASP.NET. A web library refers to a part of a website that offers a collection of websites when users browse. It has all the properties that help in developing a web application.
- Common language runtime refers to a platform that is used to execute the programs. It mainly helps to execute .NET programs and it is also used for performing key activities like exception handling and garbage collection. The code that the common language runtime directly manages is known as the managed code.
Main Differences Between C Sharp and ASP.NET
- C Sharp is a programming language whereas ASP.NET is an Open-source web framework.
- C Sharp was first designed and developed by Microsoft but later ECMA standardized it, whereas ASP.NET was first developed by Microsoft.
- C Sharp supports almost every operating system, while ASP.NET supports macOS, Windows, Microsoft, and Linux.
- C Sharp is licensed under General Public License, whereas ASP.NET Runs under Apache 2.0.
- Famous companies that use C Sharp are Microsoft, Accenture, Delivery Hero SE, Hepsiburada, on the other hand, ASP.NET is used by Mews, ROBLOX, Alibaba Group, Slack. MasterCard, Via Varejo.
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=C%23&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3Dp1DBU3MpbDwJ
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=ASP.NET&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DXQE83cbLqocJ
Last Updated : 15 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
