In this article, we are going to discuss the Folder Structure Of ASP.NET Core MVC 6 . 0 application. In the previous post, we have created an ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 project. Here is the link.
Let’s Get started:
1: Open the project:
Go to your folder in which you have created your project and double-click on the solution file. Now the project is opened and you can see the folders in solution explorer.
Now let’s understand the folder structure.
2: Open “.csproj” file:
Right-click on your project file and select “Edit Project” to open “.csproj” file.
After clicking on this you can see this code. First of all, in this file, you can see the project SDK. This project is using “Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web”. After this, properties have been defined by the project in the <PropertyGroup> tag. In the <PropertyGroup> we can see the <TargetFramework> tag that has the .NET version of the project. The <Nullable> tag can be enabled and disabled with this property project nullable reference types can be handled. In the <RootNamespace> we have our project name. In <ItemGroup> we have <PackageReference> tag you can understand by its name its have our installed package reference. I have included “Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore” in this package to my project so now our project has the reference to it.
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework>
<Nullable>enable</Nullable>
<ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
<RootNamespace>aspnet_core_mvc_6._0_demo_mycodebit</RootNamespace>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore" Version="6.0.1" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
3: Connected Services:
This connected services have all the services of connected Azure or cloud databases. We can configure azure or cloud services using this section.
4: Dependencies:
In the dependencies folder, we have all the libraries, packages, and projects on which our project depends.
5: launchsetting.Json file:
In the Properties folder we have the launchsetting.Json file. As you can see in this JSON file we have mainly application URL and port settings. We can set the environment variable in this file that is commonly used in every application.
{
"iisSettings": {
"windowsAuthentication": false,
"anonymousAuthentication": true,
"iisExpress": {
"applicationUrl": "http://localhost:50150",
"sslPort": 44375
}
},
"profiles": {
"aspnet_core_mvc_6._0_demo_mycodebit": {
"commandName": "Project",
"dotnetRunMessages": true,
"launchBrowser": true,
"applicationUrl": "https://localhost:7228;http://localhost:5228",
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
}
},
"IIS Express": {
"commandName": "IISExpress",
"launchBrowser": true,
"environmentVariables": {
"ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT": "Development"
}
}
}
}
6: wwwroot:
In the wwwroot folder, we have all the static files of our project like CSS, JavaScript, and other static libraries. You can see the subfolders for CSS, JavaScript, and other libraries.
7: Controllers:
In the controller’s folder, we have .cs files and these controllers have all the business logic of the application. The models and views don’t directly interact with each other.
8: Models:
In the Models folder, we have data classes and view classes that we use to show data in UI. We can add multiple ViewModels and database classes in this as per our project demand.
9: Views:
In the views folder, we have .cshtml files that are used for the User interface. We can change our application’s front end by changing the code in our views (.cshtml) files.
10: appsettings.json file
When you click on the appsettings.json file you will see the JSON code as I mentioned below. We can configure the database connection string in this file and also can set logging in the project.
{
"Logging": {
"LogLevel": {
"Default": "Information",
"Microsoft.AspNetCore": "Warning"
}
},
"AllowedHosts": "*"
}
11: Program.cs file
Our applications are based on the program.cs file because this file has the run and host configurations of our project. We can configure the Service of our project that we use with IServices interfaces in our program.cs file.
Organizing ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 Application Structure
When building an ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application, it’s essential to organize your files and folders in a way that makes it easy to maintain and scale your project. In this section, we’ll discuss the best practices for organizing your application structure and customizing it based on your project’s requirements.
Understanding the Default Application Structure
Before we dive into how to organize your application structure, let’s first take a look at the default file structure of an ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application. By default, the application structure includes folders such as Controllers, Views, and Models, among others. These folders contain files that define your application’s behavior, views, and data models.
Best Practices for Organizing Your Application Structure
To ensure your project remains maintainable and scalable, it’s crucial to follow good organization practices. Here are some best practices for organizing your ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application structure:
- Group files and folders based on functionality: Group files and folders that are related to each other based on functionality. For example, you can group all controllers related to a specific module in a folder named after that module.
- Keep the structure simple: Avoid creating too many nested folders, as this can make it difficult to navigate and find files. Instead, keep the folder structure as flat as possible.
- Use meaningful and consistent naming conventions: Use clear and consistent naming conventions for folders and files. This can help make your code more readable and make it easier to find files.
- Separate static files from dynamic files: Separate static files, such as CSS and JavaScript, from dynamic files, such as views and controllers. This can help improve performance by reducing the number of requests to the server.
Customizing Your Application Structure
While the default application structure is a good starting point, you may need to customize it based on your project’s requirements. For example, you may need to add additional folders to separate your client-side code from your server-side code.
When customizing your application structure, it’s important to ensure that your changes do not affect the application’s behavior. Additionally, it’s a good idea to document any changes you make to the structure, so other developers can understand how the application is organized.
Benefits of a Well-Organized ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 Application Structure
A well-organized application structure is crucial to maintaining and scaling your ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 project. In this section, we’ll discuss the benefits of having a well-organized application structure.
- Easier Maintenance and Debugging: When your application is well-organized, it’s much easier to locate and modify files. This can make maintenance tasks, such as adding new features or fixing bugs, much simpler and faster. In addition, a well-organized structure can make it easier to locate and fix errors during debugging, saving you time and effort.
- Improved Code Reusability and Scalability: By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can improve code reusability. This means that you can reuse code in other parts of your application or in future projects, saving time and effort. Additionally, a well-organized structure can make it easier to scale your project as it grows, allowing you to add new features and functionality without disrupting the existing codebase.
- Increased Developer Productivity and Collaboration: A well-organized structure can make it easier for developers to work collaboratively on a project. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, developers can quickly locate the files they need, reducing the time spent searching for files. Additionally, a well-organized structure can improve developer productivity, allowing them to focus on writing high-quality code instead of navigating a complex folder structure.
- Improved Performance: A well-organized structure can also improve the performance of your application. By separating static files from dynamic files, you can reduce the number of requests to the server, which can improve page load times. Additionally, a well-organized structure can make it easier to optimize your code for performance by allowing you to identify and eliminate bottlenecks.
Version Control
Version control systems such as Git are essential tools for managing code changes in an ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application. A well-organized application structure can make it easier to manage changes to your code and reduce the risk of conflicts when multiple developers are working on the same codebase.
- Branching: Branching is a core concept in version control systems and allows you to create multiple versions of your codebase. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can create branches that target specific areas of your application and reduce the risk of conflicts when merging changes back into the main branch.
- Merging: Merging is the process of combining changes from one branch into another. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can reduce the risk of conflicts when merging changes between branches. Additionally, a well-organized structure can make it easier to identify which files have changed and which files have not, reducing the time and effort required to resolve conflicts.
- Code Review: Code review is an important part of the software development process and can help improve the quality of your code. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can make it easier for other developers to review your code and provide feedback. Additionally, a well-organized structure can make it easier to identify which files have changed, reducing the time and effort required to review changes.
- Continuous Integration and Delivery: Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) is a software development practice that involves continuously testing and deploying changes to your codebase. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can make it easier to automate the CI/CD process and reduce the risk of errors when deploying changes to your application.
Security
Security is a critical aspect of any ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application, and a well-organized application structure can help improve the security of your codebase. By separating sensitive files, such as configuration files and database credentials, from public files, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your application.
Configuration Files
Configuration files contain sensitive information such as database credentials, API keys, and other application settings. By separating these files from public files and restricting access to them, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your application.
Public Files
Public files are files that can be accessed by anyone, such as static files and views. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information in your public files.
Authentication and Authorization
Authentication and authorization are critical components of any ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can make it easier to implement authentication and authorization in your application. Additionally, a well-organized structure can make it easier to identify and fix security vulnerabilities in your codebase.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious code into your application. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can reduce the risk of XSS attacks by limiting the attack surface of your application.
Input Validation
Input validation is an essential component of any ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application and helps prevent attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can make it easier to implement input validation and reduce the risk of security vulnerabilities in your codebase.
Testing
Automated testing is an essential part of the software development process, and a well-organized ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application structure can make it easier to write and maintain tests. By separating your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can write tests that target specific areas of your application and improve the overall test coverage.
Unit Testing
Unit testing is a type of automated testing that focuses on testing individual units of code. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can write unit tests that target specific areas of your application and improve the overall test coverage.
Integration Testing
Integration testing is a type of automated testing that focuses on testing how different units of code work together. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can write integration tests that target specific areas of your application and improve the overall test coverage.
Acceptance Testing
Acceptance testing is a type of automated testing that focuses on testing the behavior of your application from the end-user’s perspective. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can write acceptance tests that target specific areas of your application and improve the overall test coverage.
Test Coverage
Test coverage is a measure of how much of your application’s code is covered by automated tests. By organizing your code into separate folders and files based on functionality, you can improve test coverage by writing tests that target specific areas of your application.
Continuous Integration and Delivery
Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) is a software development practice that involves continuously testing and deploying changes to your codebase. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can make it easier to automate the CI/CD process and ensure that changes to your codebase are thoroughly tested before they are deployed.
Best Practices
Following best practices when organizing your ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 application structure can help improve the maintainability, scalability, and overall quality of your codebase. Here are some best practices to follow when organizing your application structure.
Use Dependency
Injection Dependency injection is a software design pattern that involves separating the creation of objects from their use. By using dependency injection, you can improve code maintainability and reduce code complexity by making it easier to manage dependencies between different parts of your codebase.
Separate Concerns
Separating concerns is a software design principle that involves separating code based on its functionality. By separating concerns, you can improve code modularity and make it easier to maintain and scale your codebase.
Use Clean Architecture
Clean architecture is a software design pattern that involves separating your code into layers based on their level of abstraction. By using clean architecture, you can improve code maintainability and reduce code complexity by separating your code into layers that are focused on specific tasks.
Follow Naming Conventions
Following consistent naming conventions for folders and files can make it easier to navigate your codebase and improve code readability. By following a consistent naming convention, you can reduce the time and effort required to locate files and improve collaboration among developers.
Document Your Code
Documenting your code can make it easier for other developers to understand how your code works and reduce the time and effort required to onboard new developers. By following a consistent folder structure and naming convention, you can create documentation that is easy to read and understand.
Conclusion
In this project we have learned and discussed the folder structure of ASP.NET Core MVC 6.0 Application. If you have any queries or suggestions about this post do not hesitate to contact us or comment below.
