I'm a beginner programmer currently focused on a data tool built on the .NET framework that employs both VB.NET and C#. I've recently had the chance to delve deeper into this tool, and I've discovered that I really enjoy coding with it. However, the app has a solid market presence but lacks a contemporary UI. I'm looking to display the data from my VB.NET application on a React-based website, aiming for a more modern and visually appealing interface, like dashboards. Is there any potential compatibility issue when connecting React (JavaScript) with a .NET application? Specifically, my React site will need to fetch data from the .NET app on demand, but I don't foresee this causing problems.
5 Answers
To put it simply, web applications typically have a front end and a back end. While some back ends are tailored to specific front ends, the key is to create a backend that handles all your business logic. This is usually hidden from users for safety. You choose the front-end technology separately—I've used a mix of languages like Kotlin, Python, and Java for back ends, but React is often my go-to for the front end.
The front end never really cares (and shouldn't care) what the back end is. It's all about how they communicate, usually via APIs.
Just curious, are you using both C# and VB.NET in your backend? Like, are some of your files written in VB.NET while others are in C#?
Absolutely, it can work! Think of React as your "front desk" and your VB.NET app as the "back office." As long as they communicate in a format they both understand—like JSON—you shouldn't run into any problems.
You can definitely set up a backend in any language, as long as it can create and read JSON messages sent over a network. From what I gather, both C# and VB.NET can utilize the same libraries and frameworks. So, if you know it can be done in C#, then it’s doable in VB.NET too.
That's awesome to hear! I did some digging and found out my tool actually uses a REST API, which I’m still exploring. It seems like that could simplify things even further.