What can asp.net *WebForms* developers expect in future?

Question

Although it is said that Webforms and MVC are treated equal I am in doubt. Most new stuff seems to be happening around MVC.

It's not about technical aspects, more a personal question.

So what to do?

• Keep with Webforms and set focus on Sharepoint (still Webforms)?
• Keep with Webforms and simply trust Microsoft and the future of Webforms?
• Go back and start again with MVC (as a Beginner, 49 years old)?
• Try something completely new (Silverlight / LightSwitch)?

Any Ideas?

Answer 1

The reason there appears to be more movement on ASP.NET MVC is because ASP.NET Web Forms have been around much longer, so there is less to add. Microsoft do seem genuinely committed to providing both options to developers and with the new Routing rules now being available to Web Forms websites, you can get stuck into the restful URIs that MVC developers have been enjoying.

Having said this, learning ASP.NET MVC or Silverlight wouldn't be a bad thing. Choosing between these is really more to do with what you are working on. Silverlight and MVC are aimed at different applications entirely, so if you like writing "applications and interfaces" you might prefer Silverlight, if you are writing quality web pages, you'll prefer MVC.

Although you are 49, it really shouldn't take too long to master either of these. To be entirely up front, MVC will probably be less of a learning curve than Silverlight, but you could still be a ninja in either of these at 50 years old!!!