Razor views are a key feature of the ASP.NET MVC framework that allow developers to create dynamic web pages using a concise and expressive syntax. Razor is a view engine that enables the embedding of C# code directly within HTML markup, making it easier to generate dynamic content. Razor views use the .cshtml file extension and are designed to be simple and intuitive, providing a seamless way to create rich user interfaces.

Key Features of Razor Views

Razor views offer several key features:

• Concise Syntax: Razor syntax is designed to be clean and easy to read, allowing developers to write less code compared to traditional ASPX views.
• Inline C# Code: Razor allows you to embed C# code directly within HTML using the @ symbol, making it easy to generate dynamic content.
• Strongly Typed Models: Razor views can be strongly typed, meaning they can specify the type of model they expect, providing compile-time checking and IntelliSense support in Visual Studio.
• Layout and Partial Views: Razor supports layout pages and partial views, enabling developers to create reusable components and maintain a consistent look and feel across the application.

Sample Razor View

Below is an example of a simple Razor view named Index.cshtml that displays a list of products:

        
        @model IEnumerable<Product>

        <h2>Product List</h2>
        <table>
            <thead>
                <tr>
                    <th>Id</th>
                    <th>Name</th>
                    <th>Price</th>
                </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
                @foreach (var product in Model)
                {
                    <tr>
                        <td>@product.Id</td>
                        <td>@product.Name</td>
                        <td>@product.Price</td>
                    </tr>
                }
            </tbody>
        </table>
            

In this example:

• The @model directive specifies that the view expects a model of type IEnumerable<Product>.
• The view uses Razor syntax to iterate over the model and generate a table displaying the product details.

Differences Between Razor Views and Traditional ASPX Views

While both Razor views and traditional ASPX views are used to create dynamic web pages in ASP.NET, there are several key differences between them:

• File Extension: Razor views use the .cshtml file extension, while traditional ASPX views use the .aspx file extension.
• Syntax: Razor syntax is more concise and cleaner than ASPX syntax. In Razor, you use the @ symbol to switch from HTML to C# code, whereas ASPX uses <% %> delimiters for embedding code.
• Code Blocks: In Razor, you can write inline code without needing to explicitly open and close code blocks. For example, you can write @if (condition) { ... } directly in the markup, while in ASPX, you would need to use <% if (condition) { ... } %>.
• HTML Encoding: Razor automatically HTML-encodes output by default, which helps prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks. In ASPX, you need to use <%= ... %> to output values, which does not automatically encode HTML.

Example of Traditional ASPX View

Below is an example of a simple ASPX view that achieves similar functionality to the Razor view shown earlier:

        
        <%@ Page Language="C#" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage<IEnumerable<Product>>" %>

        <h2>Product List</h2>
        <table>
            <thead>
                <tr>
                    <th >Id</th>
                    <th>Name</th>
                    <th>Price</th>
                </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
                <% foreach (var product in Model) { %>
                    <tr>
                        <td><%= product.Id %></td>
                        <td><%= product.Name %></td>
                        <td><%= product.Price %></td>
                    </tr>
                <% } %>
            </tbody>
        </table>
            

In this ASPX example:

• The page directive specifies the language and the model type using the <%@ Page %> directive.
• Code blocks are enclosed in <% %> delimiters, and output is done using <%= %>.

Conclusion

Razor views provide a modern and efficient way to create dynamic web pages in ASP.NET MVC. Their concise syntax, inline C# capabilities, and automatic HTML encoding make them a preferred choice over traditional ASPX views. By leveraging the features of Razor, developers can create maintainable and secure web applications with ease.