Building .NET web apps? Don't go it alone

It's fine when you're in your groove, knocking out features, getting positive user feedback, seeing your web app spring into life.

But what about those days when it isn't working?

You know, those days where you spend hours:

• Tracking down the meaning of the obscure error you encountered
• Figuring out which part of ASP.NET to use for your app (MVC, Razor Pages, Blazor server, Blazor WASM, Web API + JS SPA)
• Downloading and testing endless component libraries to figure out which one is best for your application
• Following multiple tutorials to try and wrap your head around a new framework/concept/architectural approach

When you find yourself wishing you had a better understanding of the underlying framework just so you could solve the problem and make progress towards your feature.

Not to mention the challenge of trying to choose a component library, or project architecture when you don't have time to properly road test all the options yourself.

All too often, difficult choices come down to a gamble.

Is this component library going to do everything you need? In six months time, when the pressure's on to deliver a key feature, will the component library help you out, or get in the way?

It's hard to make important decisions.

And it's even harder when you find yourself staring at your own four walls with no-one to turn to for advice.

Get help from developers who've 'been there' and 'done that'

What if, instead, you could get advice from your fellow developers, people who've been down this road already.

People who've weighed up the options, picked one, and can share their experience with you to save you from making the same mistakes they did?

What if you knew you had the full support and guidance of other developers, to help you out when you run into those inevitable questions/roadblocks at a later date?

After all, software development can be an isolating existence.

We don't all have the luxury of more experienced colleagues to turn to when we need a bit of help.

Whether you're working from home, for yourself or as part of a bigger team, there are always those moments where it's just you, the keyboard and a feature that needs to be built.

Google won't help

Have you noticed how hard it is to find answers to subjective questions on 'the internet'?

Throw a question like, "which Blazor component library should I use" at your search engine and you'll get vague, wavering suggestions or an endless list of possibilities which you still have to wade through.

But what if, instead, you could turn to real people; people who could consider your situation and offer constructive, specific advice.

People who could identify factors you might not have considered, and give you the benefit of their own experience.

People who you would usually struggle to find, but will go out of their way to nudge you in the right direction and share their experience with you, saving you hours of trial and error in the process.

When you need the kind of advice that's hard to find at the end of a Google search you need Practical ASP.NET Pro.