Who can you turn to when you get stuck?

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?
"Joining the Practical ASP.NET Pro community has easily been the best decision I've made as a developer in the last 12 months. Jon and the community were so welcoming and their advice and support have been invaluable.
The community is perfect for asking all those questions you were too scared to ask on Stack Overflow."

Francisco Villena
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.
"Jon has somehow engineered a bit of quality human connection in the Blazor learning space. I highly recommend!"

Adam O'Neil
A community of developers, where you belong
The Practical ASP.NET Pro community is here to help.
More than just another forum, Practical ASP.NET Pro is a private community for .NET web developers where:
- You can connect with your fellow ASP.NET developers, to help and be helped
- There are no stupid questions, and everyone wants you to succeed
- You can go when you find yourself paralyzed by choice, doubting your own decisions, or just in need of a little reassurance
The Practical ASP.NET Pro community exists for developers like you, who want to build better .NET web applications, faster.
"In the past 8 months, the community and the additional resources have been extremely helpful (if not essential) in advancing my learning and understanding of Blazor, as well as expanding my overall understanding of "modern software development!
Jon has created and is evolving an active community/resource with a very high "signal to noise" ratio! Jon's mind may have created this resource, but it his heart that has brought it to life! I highly recommend that you take it for a spin!"

John Rogers
When you walk through the doors of Practical ASP.NET Pro you'll find:
- A growing private community of your fellow ASP.NET developers
- Discussions and advice covering many varied subjects, such as tips for choosing a Blazor component library, and thoughts on adopting the best architecture for your app
- An expanding collection of exclusive video demos and walkthroughs
- A space for sharing your own work, or other projects of interest that you've discovered
- Somewhere to share your wins (big or small)
Who's behind this?
Right now the 'team' is, well, just me, Jon Hilton.
I've been building software since I was about 16 years old, when I created a web site for the popular British sitcom Red Dwarf.
For me, building web applications is all about that feeling of being able to create something from nothing, to take an idea and see it realised in a browser.
My goal is to do what I can to help others experience that same feeling of empowerment.
I think software development should be accessible to anyone who has the curiosity to give it a go.
If you haven't already, check out my Practical ASP.NET Pro online community; it's my small way to try and help more people find their feet in the world of .NET web development.

Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this community for?
When you join Practical ASP.NET Pro you're joining a small group of your fellow professional ASP.NET developers.
Everyone is out to help everyone else. No matter what your level of experience, there are developers a step or two behind you who will benefit from your experience.
This isn't the place to throw out vague, ill-defined, unanswerable questions, or get other people to do your work for you.
It is the place to help, and be helped, to support each other and share our experiences, so we can all learn how to build better ASP.NET web applications, faster.
You'll love it here if:
- You are learning ASP.NET, or use ASP.NET professionally (including WebForms, MVC, Blazor, Razor Pages, pretty much anything ASP.NET or ASP.NET adjacent)
- You love to share the interesting things you find in the world of ASP.NET development
- You enjoy a technical challenge, and helping others with theirs
- You respect other people and their opinions, you're open-minded about trying new things
This probably isn't the community for you if:
- You are closed-minded and defensive when interacting with others
- You're looking for a silver bullet, or instant solution (and aren't prepared to devote the necessary time and attention to learn new things)
- You're reluctant to share your experiences and/or try to help others
Can I ask for help if I'm stuck on a technical problem?
Absolutely, just remember one key thing.
It takes time and energy for people to help you out. The best way to get help is to clearly describe the problem you're having, with enough details to help people recreate the issue.
Example code is best, and has the added benefit that, in trying to re-create your problem in a small example you often see it differently. You may even solve your own problem!
Do you offer a free trial?
No, but if you join and decide the community is not for you, you can cancel within the first 14 days and I'll issue a full refund.
After 14 days you can easily cancel at any point, and enjoy full access to the community until your subscription completes.