Describe strongly typed views and their benefits in ASP.NET Core MVC

Strongly typed views in ASP.NET Core MVC are views that are bound to a specific model type. This means the view is designed to work with a particular class, and it gets strongly typed access to the properties and methods of that class. Here are the benefits and features of using strongly typed views:

Benefits of Strongly Typed Views

1. IntelliSense Support:

   • Benefit: In strongly typed views, you get IntelliSense support in the Razor view editor. This means that as you type, you get suggestions for model properties, methods, and other members, which helps reduce errors and increases productivity.
   • Example: When working with a Product model in a view, you can get autocomplete suggestions for properties like ProductName, Price, etc.

2. Compile-Time Checking:

   • Benefit: Strongly typed views provide compile-time checking of the model properties. This means that if you reference a property that doesn't exist, you'll get a compile-time error rather than a runtime error, which makes debugging easier and reduces runtime exceptions.
   • Example: If you mistakenly type @Model.ProducName instead of @Model.ProductName, you'll get a compile-time error indicating the mistake.

3. Cleaner and More Maintainable Code:

   • Benefit: Since you are using a specific model, the code is cleaner and more readable. You don't have to use the ViewBag or ViewData for passing data to the view, which can be prone to errors and harder to maintain.
   • Example: Instead of using ViewBag.ProductName, you directly use @Model.ProductName, which is more explicit and less error-prone.

4. Refactoring Support:

   • Benefit: Strongly typed views make it easier to refactor code. If you rename a property in your model, your view will also need to be updated, and the changes will be reflected automatically due to strong typing.
   • Example: If you rename ProductName to Name in your model, you'll get compile-time errors in your views where the old property name was used, guiding you to update them.

5. Enhanced Security:

   • Benefit: By using strongly typed models, you reduce the risk of typos and errors that can lead to security issues. This ensures that the data passed to the view is more predictable and controlled.
   • Example: Accessing @Model.Price directly ensures you are dealing with the correct property, reducing the chances of accidentally exposing sensitive data through ViewBag or ViewData.

How to Use Strongly Typed Views

1. Define a Model:
   
   

   public class Product

   {

       public int Id { get; set; }

       public string ProductName { get; set; }

       public decimal Price { get; set; }

   }

2. Create a Strongly Typed View: When creating a new view, you specify the model type the view is bound to.
   
   Create a Strongly Typed View: When creating a new view, you specify the model type the view is bound to.
   
   

   @model YourNamespace.Models.Product

   
   

   <h2>Product Details</h2>

   <div>

       <label>Product Name:</label>

       @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.ProductName)

   </div>

   <div>

       <label>Price:</label>

       @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Price)

   </div>
3. Pass the Model to the View from the Controller:
   
   

   public IActionResult Details(int id)

   {

       var product = _productService.GetProductById(id); // Assume _productService fetches the product

       return View(product);

   }

Conclusion

Strongly typed views in ASP.NET Core MVC improve development productivity, enhance code readability and maintainability, and provide better compile-time checking and IntelliSense support. By leveraging strongly typed models, you create more robust and secure applications with fewer runtime errors and easier maintenance.