Question $1$: Short Answer $(30$ Marks$)$

$1.$ What is ASP.NET Core? $(15$ marks$)$

$$ Clearly define ASP.NET Core as a cross$-$platform, open$-$source web framework built on $.$NET. $(5$

marks$)$

$$ Highlight key features like cross$-$platform compatibility, modularity, high performance, and rich

ecosystem. $(10$ marks$)$

$2.$ What types of applications can you build? $(15$ marks$)$

$$ Discuss diverse application types: web APIs, single$-$page applications $($SPAs$),$ microservices, and

more. $(8$ marks$)$

$$ Provide examples of each type for context. $(7$ marks$)$

Question $2$: Short Answer $(40$ Marks$)$

$1.$ Choosing ASP.NET Core $(15$ marks$)$

$$ Explain factors like target platform, developer preference, required features, and performance

needs. $(10$ marks$)$

$$ Analyze scenarios where ASP.NET Core might not be the optimal choice. $(5$ marks$)$

$2.$ How does ASP.NET Core work? $(20$ marks$)$

$$ Explain the request$-$response lifecycle: request arrival, middleware pipeline processing, controller

handling, and response generation. $(15$ marks$)$

$$ Briefly describe additional concepts like dependency injection and routing. $(5$ marks$)$

$3.$ Compare and contrast ASP.NET Core with other popular web frameworks $($e$.$g$.,$ Node.js$,$ Django$).$ Briefly

discuss their strengths and weaknesses. $(5$ Marks$)$