Tutorials ASP.NET Core Complete Tutorial (ShopNest)

Views and Razor Syntax in ASP.NET Core

Learn Views and Razor Syntax in ASP.NET Core in our free ASP.NET Core Complete Tutorial (ShopNest) series. Step-by-step explanations, examples, and interview tips on Toolliyo Academy.

5 min read Updated 7/7/2026

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Views and Razor Syntax — ShopNest Restaurant Menu — Article 7 of 75 · Module 1: Foundations · ShopNest Restaurant Menu App

Target keyword: razor views asp.net core · Read time: ~27 min · .NET: 8 / 9 · Project: ShopNest Restaurant Menu App

Introduction

Views turn C# data into HTML the browser understands. In ASP.NET Core MVC, views are Razor files (.cshtml) — HTML with embedded C# using the @ symbol. Controllers from Article 5 choose what to show; views define how it looks.

This lesson builds the ShopNest Restaurant Menu — categories, dishes, prices, dietary tags — using Razor expressions, loops, conditionals, layouts, and every way to pass data from controller to view.

After this article you will

Write Razor syntax: expressions, code blocks, @if, @foreach
Pass data via strongly-typed models, ViewBag, ViewData, TempData
Understand _Layout, _ViewStart, _ViewImports
Render a full restaurant menu from a collection

Prerequisites

Article 6 — Routing
Basic HTML and C#

Razor syntax essentials

Level 1 — Analogy

Razor is a merge template — like a restaurant menu Word doc with mail-merge fields. Static text stays HTML; @item.Name inserts live data from the kitchen (controller).

Level 2 — Technical

@* Comment — not sent to browser *@
@model IEnumerable<MenuItem>

<h1>ShopNest Bistro — Today's Menu</h1>
@foreach (var item in Model)
{
    <div class="menu-row">
        <h3>@item.Name</h3>
        <p>@item.Description</p>
        <span class="price">₹@item.Price.ToString("N0")</span>
        @if (item.IsVeg)
        {
            <span class="badge bg-success">Veg</span>
        }
    </div>
}

Implicit vs explicit expressions: @DateTime.Now.Year works; complex expressions need parentheses: @(user.IsAdmin ? "Admin" : "Guest").

Code blocks: @{ var total = Model.Count(); } runs C# without outputting text.

Passing data to views

Mechanism	Type-safe?	Best for
`@model MenuPageViewModel`	Yes	Primary pattern — always prefer this
`ViewBag.Title = "Menu"`	No (dynamic)	Page title, minor extras
`ViewData["Title"]`	No (object dictionary)	Same as ViewBag, string keys
`TempData["Message"]`	No	Flash message after redirect (PRG)

// MenuController.cs
public IActionResult Index()
{
    var vm = new MenuPageViewModel
    {
        RestaurantName = "ShopNest Bistro",
        Items = _menuService.GetTodayMenu()
    };
    ViewBag.LastUpdated = DateTime.Now;
    return View(vm);
}

Layout, _ViewStart, _ViewImports

@* Views/Shared/_Layout.cshtml *@
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>@ViewData["Title"] - ShopNest</title></head>
<body>
    <header>... nav ...</header>
    <main>@RenderBody()</main>
    @await RenderSectionAsync("Scripts", required: false)
</body>
</html>

_ViewStart.cshtml — sets Layout = "_Layout" for all views in folder
_ViewImports.cshtml — common @using, @addTagHelper
@section Scripts { } — page-specific JS at bottom of layout

HTML Helpers vs Tag Helpers (preview)

Legacy: @Html.ActionLink("Menu", "Index", "Menu"). Modern (preferred): <a asp-controller="Menu" asp-action="Index">Menu</a>. Full Tag Helper guide in Article 11.

Create MenuItem model: Name, Description, Price, Category, IsVeg.
MenuController.Index returns list grouped by category.
View uses @foreach with Bootstrap cards.
Add filter tabs (All / Veg / Non-Veg) with @if.

@model MenuPageViewModel
@{
    ViewData["Title"] = Model.RestaurantName;
    var grouped = Model.Items.GroupBy(i => i.Category);
}
@foreach (var group in grouped)
{
    <h2 class="mt-4">@group.Key</h2>
    <div class="row">
    @foreach (var item in group)
    {
        <div class="col-md-4 mb-3">
            <div class="card">
                <div class="card-body">
                    <h5>@item.Name</h5>
                    <p>₹@item.Price</p>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    }
    </div>
}

Interview questions

Q1: What is Razor?
A: Syntax for embedding C# in HTML views; compiled to C# classes at runtime/build.

Q2: ViewBag vs ViewData vs TempData?
A: ViewBag/ViewData for same-request data; TempData survives one redirect via session cookie.

Q3: What is @RenderBody()?
A: Placeholder in layout where individual view content is injected.

Q4: Strongly-typed view benefit?
A: Compile-time checking and IntelliSense via @model directive.

Summary

Razor mixes HTML and C# with @ syntax
Prefer strongly-typed @model over ViewBag
Layouts and sections keep ShopNest UI consistent
Restaurant menu demo shows loops, conditionals, grouping

Previous: Routing
Next: Layouts, Partial Views and View Components

FAQ

Can I use JavaScript frameworks instead of Razor?

Yes — SPA with React/Vue uses Razor minimally. Traditional ShopNest MVC pages still rely heavily on Razor for SEO-friendly server-rendered HTML.

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