Main features of MVC2, MVC3 and MVC4

ASP.NET MVC 2 was released in March 2010. Its main features are:

• Introduction of UI helpers with automatic scaffolding with customizable templates
• Attribute-based model validation on both client and server
• Strongly typed HTML helpers
• Improved Visual Studio tooling
• There were also lots of API enhancements and “pro” features, based on feedback from developers building a variety of applications on ASP.NET MVC 1, such as:
  • Support for partitioning large applications into areas
  • Asynchronous controllers support
  • Support for rendering subsections of a page/site using Html.RenderAction
  • Lots of new helper functions, utilities, and API enhancements

ASP.NET MVC 3 shipped just 10 months after MVC 2 in Jan 2011. Some of the top features in MVC 3 included:

• The Razor view engine
• Support for .NET 4 Data Annotations
• Improved model validation
• Greater control and flexibility with support for dependency resolution and global action filters
• Better JavaScript support with unobtrusive JavaScript, jQuery Validation, and JSON binding
• Use of NuGet to deliver software and manage dependencies throughout the platform

Following are the top features of MVC4:

• ASP.NET Web API
• Enhancements to default project templates
• Mobile project template using jQuery Mobile
• Display Modes
• Task support for Asynchronous Controllers
• Bundling and minification