Getting Started with Blazor: A Friendly Introduction for Beginners

If you’re entering the exciting world of web development, you’ve likely heard the buzz around Blazor. But what exactly is it, and why should you care? Let’s break it down simply and clearly, so even beginners can jump right in.

What Exactly is Blazor?

Blazor is a modern web framework from Microsoft that allows you to build interactive web applications using C# instead of JavaScript. Introduced back in 2018 as an experimental technology, Blazor quickly became popular for enabling developers to write frontend and backend using the same language—C#.

Official Website

Why Choose Blazor?

• Single Language: Write both frontend and backend in C#, reducing context switching.
• Reusable Components: Build your UI from small, reusable components, saving time and improving consistency.
• Powerful Tooling: Deep integration with Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, offering excellent debugging and code completion features.
• Strong .NET Ecosystem: Leverage existing .NET libraries and integrations easily.

Blazor Server vs. Blazor WebAssembly: What’s the Difference?

Blazor has two main hosting models—Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly (WASM). Each has unique strengths and use cases:

Blazor Server

In this model, your app runs on a server. User interactions are handled via a real-time connection (SignalR), sending UI updates instantly to the browser.

✅ Pros:

• Faster initial load
• Strong server-side performance
• Easier access to server resources and databases
• Secure (code runs on the server)

❌ Cons:

• Requires constant internet connection
• Latency-sensitive (relies on server connection)
• Scaling can be more challenging due to persistent connections

Blazor WebAssembly

In the WebAssembly model, your app runs directly in the user’s browser. The code is downloaded once, then executed locally without constant server interaction.

Advantages:

• No Server Required: After initial load, your app runs independently in the browser.
• Offline Capability: Works fully offline after downloading.
• Scalable: Easy to scale as apps run on user’s hardware.

Drawbacks:

• Initial Load Time: Can be slower on the initial load (downloading the entire app).
• Performance Limitations: Runs in the browser sandbox, so there are some resource limitations.

Which Model Should You Choose?

• Choose Blazor Server if you’re building internal or enterprise web apps where connectivity is reliable, and instant updates matter.
• Choose Blazor WebAssembly for client-side apps, progressive web apps, or where offline functionality matters, like consumer-facing apps.

Quick Example: Blazor Component

Here’s a simple example of a Blazor component to illustrate how easy it is to get started:

@page "/counter"

<h3>Counter</h3>
<button @onclick="Increment">Click me</button>
<p>Current count: @count</p>

@code {
    private int count = 0;

    void Increment()
    {
        count++;
    }
}

This simple counter demonstrates Blazor’s approach: UI markup (HTML) and logic (C#) side by side.

Best Use Cases for Blazor

Blazor excels in:

• Enterprise and business applications (internal dashboards, CRM systems)
• Interactive web apps requiring real-time UI updates
• Developers familiar with the .NET ecosystem who prefer C# over JavaScript

What’s Next?

The Blazor community continues to grow, with powerful libraries and components like MudBlazor, Radzen, and more making development even easier.

If you want to explore further, stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more Blazor tips, guides, and examples soon!

Have questions or want me to cover something specific in future articles? Let me know in the comments! Happy coding!