Site development overview
This page is a part of a tutorial, which you should follow sequentially, from the beginning to the end. Go to the first page: Getting started with Kentico.
Kentico provides you with two development models based on the ASP.NET capabilities – ASP.NET Web Forms and ASP.NET MVC.
You can select the path you are interested in and complete the tutorial within an hour, or you can walk through both of the development approaches. The latter option gives you a good understanding of how development with each of the models works. In the end, you will understand the differences between the models and their strengths, which will allow you to select the best approach for your website.
Portal Engine |
MVC |
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You can build websites using page templates and web parts in a browser-based user interface. Does not require any in-depth programming knowledge, even when developing complex websites. However, the Portal Engine model also allows developers to create advanced custom components and complex logic. For new users and evaluators, we recommend using the Portal Engine approach. |
You can create websites or specific pages using the Model-View-Controller architectural pattern (based on the ASP.NET MVC 5 framework). You will build standard MVC models and controllers. They retrieve data from the Kentico database and display it on the live site through MVC views which are composed of HTML and inline code. The content structure in Kentico is represented by content only pages which serve as the content repository. |
ASPX templatesIf you prefer creating websites using standard ASP.NET web forms architecture, you can build your websites using the ASPX templates model. You will build standard ASPX pages with code-behind files using standard or custom ASP.NET server controls, which you will place on the ASPX pages. However, the web pages built using ASPX templates cannot be fully managed in the Kentico browser-based administration interface. You will need standard development tools, such as Visual Studio. To build websites in the ASPX templates model, you need to be familiar with ASP.NET development and have at least basic programming knowledge of C#. |
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Tutorial requirementsThe Portal Engine tutorial path does not require any knowledge of C# or ASP.NET Web Forms, or any advanced web development tool, such as Visual Studio. You can complete the Portal Engine path working in your browser. |
Tutorial requirementsTo complete the MVC path, you will need an IDE for ASP.NET MVC development, e.g., Visual Studio. This MVC path requires a high level of familiarity with development concepts in the ASP.NET framework, as well as experience in C# and access to standard development tools, such as Visual Studio. Please note that the purpose of this tutorial is not to teach the general development principles of ASP.NET MVC, but to introduce to you how development of MVC websites works in Kentico. You should already be familiar with MVC development concepts, as well the basics of Linq syntax before you start the tutorial. To quickly get on board, you can use the following free resources: |
Which path of the Kentico 11 Tutorial do you want to take? |
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Further reading – Choosing the development model
If you’re not sure which development model is best for you, see Choosing the right development model.