Essential Tips for ASP.NET MVC Developers

ASP.NET MVC remains a powerful framework for building robust web applications but it's easy to overlook fundamental practices in the rush of development. This article compiles practical tips and architectural suggestions that can help you write cleaner, more maintainable and more secure MVC applications. These are not just best practices, they're reminders I’ve found valuable over the years and continue to use in nearly every project.

📌 General Recommendations

• Write tests and better yet, write them before the code

• Always follow SOLID principles

• Use ActionFilterAttribute for reusable cross-cutting concerns

• Prefer partial page updates to reloads for a smoother UX

• Take advantage of ASP.NET's Resource folder

• Use TempData instead of over-relying on Session

• Apply OutputCache, especially for static pages

• Embrace async programming whenever appropriate

• Send data using HttpPost for improved safety and clarity

• Use bundling and minification for better performance

• Split your app into Areas to maintain modularity

• Ensure folder names match namespace names

• Defend against common attack vectors like:

  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

  • SQL Injection

  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF)

  • Incorrect model binding

• Always dispose of context objects properly

🧱 Model Best Practices

• Create a separate project for your models

• Handle all validations inside the model layer

• Store view models in dedicated folders

• Always define interfaces to prevent tight coupling

• If needed, manage Session within your model layer

• Use view models instead of exposing entities directly, this allows for adding custom fields

🖼️ View Guidelines

• Keep all HTML strictly inside the views, never in controllers

• If you need to pass data from the controller, use ViewData

• Enable automatic JavaScript validation for forms

• When adding comments, use C# comments so they won’t appear in the browser

• Always use HtmlHelper extensions to simplify and standardize markup

🎮 Controller Recommendations

• Accept models as parameters instead of primitive types

• Always specify the name of the view the action should return

• Use [HandleError] to gracefully handle unexpected failures

• Submit forms using POST for better security and intent clarity