If you're diving into modern web development with .NET 8, Razor Pages offer a clean, page-focused approach that’s perfect for building dynamic, server-rendered applications. Whether you're orchestrating a medicinal product directory or prototyping HR systems, Razor Pages give you modular control with minimal boilerplate.

🧰 Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Visual Studio 2022 or later with the ASP.NET and web development workload
• .NET 8 SDK installed
• Optional: SQL Server or Azure SQL for database integration

🏗️ Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create a New Project

• Open Visual Studio
• Click on Create a new project
• Select ASP.NET Core Web App (Razor Pages)
• Click Next

2. Configure Your Project

• Name your project (e.g., RazorPagesDemo)
• Choose a location and solution name
• Click Next

3. Set Framework and Options

• Select .NET 8.0
• Leave Authentication as None
• Ensure Configure for HTTPS is checked
• Uncheck Use top-level statements
• Click Create

4. Understand the Project Structure

🖥️ Running the App

• Press Ctrl + F5 to run without debugging
• Your app will launch at https://localhost:<port> showing the default Razor UI

✍️ Adding Your First Razor Page

1. Right-click the Pages folder → Add → Razor Page
2. Choose Empty Razor Page → Name it HelloWorld
3. Two files are created:
   • HelloWorld.cshtml → HTML + Razor syntax
   • HelloWorld.cshtml.cs → PageModel with C# logic

Example: Displaying a Message

HelloWorld.cshtml.cs

public class HelloWorldModel : PageModel
{
    public string Message { get; private set; }

    public void OnGet()
    {
        Message = "Welcome to Razor Pages in .NET 8!";
    }
}

HelloWorld.cshtml

@page
@model HelloWorldModel
<h2>@Model.Message</h2>

🔧 Routing Setup in Program.cs

Make sure your Program.cs includes:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddRazorPages();

var app = builder.Build();
app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseStaticFiles();
app.UseRouting();

app.MapRazorPages();
app.Run();

🧪 Next Steps

• Integrate Entity Framework Core for database operations
• Add authentication and authorization for secure access
• Use partial views and layout pages for consistent UI
• Deploy to Azure App Service or Docker containers

Razor Pages in .NET 8 strike a balance between simplicity and power—ideal for orchestrated, modular web apps. Whether you're building internal tools or public-facing portals, this setup gives you a clean slate to innovate.