In ASP.NET MVC, a view is a component that is responsible for rendering the user interface of an application. Views are typically created using the Razor view engine, which allows developers to write HTML markup mixed with C# code. The primary purpose of a view is to display data to the user and provide a way for users to interact with the application.

Key Characteristics of Views

Views in ASP.NET MVC have several key characteristics:

• Separation of Concerns: Views are responsible solely for the presentation layer, allowing for a clear separation between the application's logic and its user interface.
• Model Binding: Views can receive data from controllers through model binding, allowing them to display dynamic content based on the application's state.
• Razor Syntax: Views use Razor syntax, which allows for embedding C# code within HTML markup, making it easy to generate dynamic content.
• Strongly Typed Views: 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.

Creating a View

To create a view in an ASP.NET MVC application, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the Views folder in your project.
2. Select Add > New Folder and name it according to the controller (e.g., Product for ProductController).
3. Right-click on the newly created folder, select Add > View.
4. Name the view (e.g., Index) and click Add.

Sample Code for a View

Below is an example of a simple 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>, which is a collection of Product objects.
• The view uses Razor syntax to iterate over the model and generate a table displaying the product details, including Id, Name, and Price.

Using Views with Controllers

Views are typically used in conjunction with controllers. When a controller action method is invoked, it can return a view, passing the necessary model data. Below is an example of a controller action that returns the Index view:

        
        public class ProductController : Controller
        {
            public ActionResult Index()
            {
                var products = new List<Product>
                {
                    new Product { Id = 1, Name = "Product 1", Price = 10.00M },
                    new Product { Id = 2, Name = "Product 2", Price = 20.00M }
                };
                return View(products); // Returns the Index view with the product list
            }
        }
            

In this example, the Index action method retrieves a list of products and returns the View method, passing the product list as the model. The corresponding view will render the product data in a table format.

Conclusion

In summary, views in ASP.NET MVC play a crucial role in rendering the user interface and displaying data to users. They utilize Razor syntax to create dynamic content and are designed to work closely with controllers to present the application's state. By adhering to the principles of separation of concerns and model binding, views contribute to a clean and maintainable architecture in ASP.NET MVC applications.