Has your company started down the path of web app development? If not, it’s high time you started. With competition continuing to rise, the longer you put this off the further behind you’ll get. And everyone knows what happens when you fall behind in a highly competitive market? Your chances of success lessen exponentially with each passing day.
To that end, you need to not only ensure you have the right developers for the task but also the right tools to get the job done. That means frameworks. One such framework that is geared specifically for web apps is Blazor.
Blazor is one of many frameworks that was developed for the creation of Single Page Apps (SPAs). The name Blazor is an amalgamation of the words Browser and Razor (which is the .NET HTML view generating engine). The intent of Blazor is to be able to execute Razor views on the client (instead of the server) to display HTML within a browser. By doing this, SPAs are faster and more reliable. It should be noted, however, that Blazor is also capable of executing SPAs on the server side as well.
Blazor is open-source, free to use, and the source code is maintained and owned by the .NET Foundation.
Why is Blazor Good For Web Development?
So, why should you choose Blazor over the competition for web development? Let’s take a look at a few solid reasons.
- Zero HTML and CSS RestrictionsAlthough Blazor uses Razor templates, the rendered app is done in standard HTML and CSS within the Browser. Because of this, you can use any CSS feature or library and all standard HTML attributes without restriction.
- CSS IsolationBlazor makes use of CSS Isolation (which determines if an element must create a new stacking context). This is a very reliable method of avoiding component conflicts.
- SignalR SupportBlazor supports SignalR, an open-source library that allows server code to send real-time, asynchronous notifications to client-side web apps.
- Server-Side Pre-renderingBy implementing server-side pre-rendering, Blazor makes information available to SPAs much faster (even before the app is downloaded). This makes SPAs far more performant than they otherwise would be.
- Hot ReloadBlazor includes Hot Reload, which allows developers to see the output of any change to a web application immediately, thereby reducing the time it takes to complete the testing and debugging process.
- VirtualizationBlazor also includes virtualization support via the Virtualize component, which makes it possible to limit UI rendering to only those pieces that are currently visible. This feature dramatically speeds up the performance of an SPA and/or web application.
- gRPCBlazor supports the RPC (Remote Procedure Call) framework via gRPC and supports client-server communication by way of automatic client-side code generation based on protobuf contract and makes it possible for cross-platform app integration, even when apps are written in different languages.
- Lazy LoadingBlazor also adds Lazy Loading into the mix, which is a method of development that significantly reduces rendering time by loading libraries on demand.
Which Companies Are Using Blazor?
Companies that are currently using Blazor include the likes of:
- GE Aviation
- The Postage
- ShoWorks
- Stadio
- Zero Friction
- Allegiance Consulting
- Scopeland Technology
- Objectivity Software
- PokitPal
- workspace
- Hetosoft Sistemas
- Powered4 TV
- Pernod Ricard
Blazor Vs. Angular
Both Blazor and Angular are open-source web frameworks built specifically for SPAs. The big difference between the two is that Angular uses TypeScript, while Blazor uses C#. Also, Angular has been around for some time, whereas Blazor is relatively new to the scene.
Blazor Vs. React
Blazor and React are quite different. Where Blazor makes it possible to develop interactive client-side SPAs with HTML, CSS, and C#, React is a JavaScript library used to build interfaces and other UI components. Also, Blazor leverages more current web standards, so it’s going to be more adept at building web apps that meet the demand of a modern audience.
Blazor Hiring guide
Because Blazor leans so heavily on languages that most modern software engineers already know, it’s quite easy to learn. But when hiring possible Blazor developers, you’ll want to make sure they have the following skills:
- In-depth knowledge of HTML and CSS
- Experience with C#
- Working knowledge of front-end application development
- Fundamental understanding of SPAs and web apps
- Strong SQL skills
- Understanding of .NET
- Experience maintaining developing and maintaining web applications
- Understanding of the data auditing process
You’ll want to hire candidates that have (at least) a BS in computer science, IT, web development, or a related field. Prospective hires should also be competent in modifying existing applications and be able to migrate them from their current form into an SPA or web application.
