In much broader terms when we talk about Kentico, it is a Web Content Management and, an Online Marketing Platform Powered by Modern .NET MVC Technology. The company states that Kentico is the only fully integrated ASP.NET CMS, E-commerce, and Online Marketing platform allowing users to create cutting-edge websites and provide customised digital experiences to the consumers across multiple channels.
Taking a little deviation from the topic, we can see that developers are encountering performance implications with Web Forms. This type of web app has higher demands on the hardware it is running on. Hence, the total cost of ownership increases Combining the factors limiting the developers when crafting experiences, and we get a couple of key contributing factors as for why this particular technology has been dying for the last five years.
Coming back, Kentico did have MVC support before Kentico 9, but Kentico 9 was really where they first properly introduced the concept of MVC development to counteract the restrictions and performance issues with Web Forms, eventually giving a boost to Kentico development services across the market.
1. The Admin Site
When you look at the MVC approach, it is not like a standard Kentico portal engine based website where the entire website and entire admin interface is combined into one application.
Kentico MVC splits the two responsibilities into two separate resources on the server or cloud instance. Developers can choose to leave the application in the 1 IIS website approach and nest the admin interface with minimal configuration: Kentico MVC & Kentico MVC Admin.
2. Page Templates
You will use Page Templates to build the pages. Any new templates are added via Page Template application, visible on the dashboard by default.
One of the best things about Page Templates is the ability to reuse them. If there are multiple Pages following the same layout, you can give them the same Page Template. They are the building block for Pages.
To make things work your way, add a new Category under ‘All page templates’ for one of your Page Templates and name it after your website. This will help you keep track of them.
3. Kentico Licensing
Handling Web Forms requires a license which permits you to do so. It is suggested that, even if you have a Kentico license which is server based, and which allows for 1, 10, or more such Kentico sites on that server, you should reach out to [email protected] and ask for a development license. This will allow for two servers to have the Kentico Web Form capability correctly work.
4. Kentico Documentation
One thing you as a developer will love about Kentico is its excellent documentation. At any point in time, if you want to know how a particular API works, or how to configure a certain portion of Kentico functionality, that answer can be easily found inside with the documentation.
Years of information, configurations, and code samples on the existing Kentico platform has been fed already. A lot of time was given into rewriting ASP.NET MVC support for Kentico 9.
As a developer, one great news is that the API still functions the same way while working in the MVC development mode in Kentico. The “guts” of any code sample still work exactly as is, but the “hook” of where you place that code sample might have changed.
5. Repeaters
Repeaters are one of Kentico’s most essential and powerful Web Parts. It is widely used and is the reason behind how content from Page Types is displayed in sections such as News and Blogs.
When working with Repeater, you take a tree in the sitemap and display the content from it on a particular page. The content that is displayed typically is a stripped-down version of the Page Type – for example, details about products.
The details in such a scenario would include a link to the Product page where users can view more detailed information. This information is then added via Transformations for the Page Type.
Conclusion
When it comes to website development today, MVC rules and the Sun seems to be set on Web Forms. Kentico has created its niche in CMS ecosystem with a robust set of features and tools. As a developer, learning and grasping the latest technologies is your key to victory in today’s market. It is time for Kentico development services to disrupt the industry.
Albert Smith is Digital Marketing Manager at Hidden Brains, a leading software development company specializing in mobile & web app development services. He provides innovative ways to help tech companies, startups and large enterprises build their brand.