Table of Contents

New to .NET development?

Whether you’re coming from a different programming background or transitioning from .NET Framework to .NET Core, there are a few key concepts and skills that will help you succeed with Dynamicweb 10. This article provides an overview of what to focus on when learning .NET Core development in the context of the Dynamicweb CMS, eCommerce, and PIM platform, including Razor template implementation and extensibility.

1. Why .NET Core Matters for Dynamicweb

Dynamicweb 10 is built on .NET Core (rather than .NET Framework). This modernized platform:

  • Provides cross-platform capabilities (Windows, macOS, Linux).
  • Offers improved performance and scalability.
  • Streamlines cloud deployments through better container support.

If you’re transitioning from Dynamicweb 9 (and thus .NET Framework), or if you’re completely new to .NET, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of .NET Core to effectively work with Dynamicweb 10.

Useful Resources

2. Essential C# Skills

C# remains the primary language for .NET (Core or Framework). If you’re new to the language, or need a refresher, focus on the following topics:

  1. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) basics: Classes, objects, inheritance, interfaces, and abstraction.
  2. Asynchronous programming: async and await are essential for efficient, scalable applications.
  3. LINQ and Lambda Expressions: Commonly used for data queries and transformations.

Useful Resources

3. ASP.NET Core Fundamentals

Since Dynamicweb 10 leverages ASP.NET Core technology, you should understand how ASP.NET Core handles:

  1. Routing: How requests map to controllers and actions in MVC, or endpoints in minimal APIs.
  2. Dependency Injection (DI): Built-in DI is a core part of ASP.NET Core and essential for writing testable and maintainable code.
  3. Middleware: The pipeline that handles requests and responses.

A grasp of these concepts will help you navigate and customize Dynamicweb’s pipelines and extension points.

Useful Resources

4. Understanding MVC and Razor

Razor is the primary view engine used in ASP.NET Core, and Dynamicweb relies on Razor-based templates for rendering output in CMS, eCommerce, and PIM solutions.

Key Razor Concepts

  • Razor syntax: Inline C# within .cshtml files.
  • Layouts: Common master pages for shared look and feel.
  • Partial Views and View Components: Modular pieces of view logic you can reuse across the application.
  • Sections: Optional placeholders in your layouts for rendering child pages’ content.

Razor in Dynamicweb

In a Dynamicweb solution, Razor templates are used to display product lists, product details, PIM item details, and CMS pages. You can customize or extend these templates to fit the exact front-end design requirements.

Simple Example of a Razor Template

@using Dynamicweb.Ecommerce.Products // Example of a using directive for eCommerce classes

@model Product // The model is your eCommerce Product

<h1>@Model.Name</h1>
<p>Price: @Model.Price</p>

@if (Model.VariantGroups.Any())
{
    <ul>
        @foreach (var variantGroup in Model.VariantGroups)
        {
            <li>@variantGroup.Name</li>
        }
    </ul>
}

Useful Resources

5. Extending and Customizing Dynamicweb

One of the major benefits of a .NET-based platform is the ability to extend and customize it. In Dynamicweb, custom code typically comes in two main flavors:

  1. Extensibility via Pipelines, Providers, and Notifications

    • You can subscribe to events (often called notifications in Dynamicweb) to modify or augment the core behavior, for example, customizing how orders are processed or how products are displayed.

  2. Custom Razor Implementations

    • Writing or adapting Razor templates for front-end display and logic.
    • Integrating with third-party APIs or services from within your Razor code (though typically better done in controllers or services to keep the templates clean).

Make sure you understand:

  • Service Classes in ASP.NET Core and how to register them in Startup (or Program.cs in minimal hosting scenario) for use in your Dynamicweb extensions.
  • The Dynamicweb Lifecycle (notifying your code at various points).

Useful Resources

6. Deployment and DevOps Considerations

When working in .NET Core projects, keep in mind modern DevOps and CI/CD practices:

  • Containerization (Docker) if applicable.
  • Cloud Deployments on Azure, AWS, or others.
  • Configuration and Secrets Management.

Dynamicweb can be deployed to various environments, so understanding these principles will help you scale or maintain a robust infrastructure.

Useful Resources

7. Next Steps & Where to Go for More

  1. Explore Dynamicweb’s Official Docs

  2. Take a Deeper Dive into Microsoft Docs

  3. Practice with a Simple Project

    • Create a sample Dynamicweb 10 solution.
    • Implement a custom Razor template for a product list.
    • Play around with custom notifications/events to extend standard functionality.

8. Get certified in Dynamicweb and Dynamicweb extensibility

Dynamicweb certifications are a great way to validate and showcase your proficiency in implementing and maintaining solutions on the Dynamicweb platform.

By pursuing a certification, you not only deepen your understanding of Dynamicweb’s core features—like CMS, eCommerce, and PIM—but also gain insight into best practices that can set your projects up for long-term success.

Each certification page on the Dynamicweb documentation provides a roadmap for the required skills and includes relevant links to materials that will help you study and prepare.

This structured approach ensures that you gain the right knowledge at the right time, ultimately making you a more effective and confident Dynamicweb developer.

Conclusion

By focusing on C# fundamentals, ASP.NET Core basics, Razor templates, and extending the Dynamicweb platform, you’ll be able to deliver robust CMS, eCommerce, and PIM solutions. Remember to utilize the official Microsoft documentation for core .NET and ASP.NET Core concepts, and refer to Dynamicweb’s own documentation to see how it all fits together.

Getting comfortable with these concepts will greatly enhance your productivity and expertise as a .NET developer working with Dynamicweb 10. Good luck on your journey—happy coding!

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