Agility Unveils New .NET Starter and GraphQL Beta

Headless CMS platforms are enabling users to have more freedom and choice when it comes to content delivery. This includes expanding their bench of connector resources and juicing their overall API capabilities. 

Agility CMS has long been a forward-thinking provider of headless content management solutions, and they're continuing to bolster this trend with a new set of capabilities. This week, the company announced the launch of its revamped Microsoft .NET Starter, along with an exciting new GraphQL Beta.

With .NET 5 approaching its end of life, the move to .NET 7 ensures future readiness and significantly improves performance, making it a compelling choice for developers looking for speed and efficiency. The GraphQL Beta feature offers more control over data retrieved from Agility's APIs, allowing users to select specific properties and tailor their content queries precisely to their needs.

With these updates, Agility is endeavoring to deliver more power and flexibility to developers and businesses, allowing them to manage content delivery more efficiently. 

“GraphQL is quickly joining REST as a de facto standard for developers,” said Joel Varty, CTO of Agility. “This starter for .NET utilizes GraphQL as an example for empowering developers with more fine-tuned control over their API requests. This enhancement marks a significant step forward in our goal to enable businesses to leverage the latest technologies effectively.”

As headless CMS platforms go head-to-head in an increasingly composable, hot-swappable world, Agility is doubling down on real value. By developing cutting-edge features that reduce friction and expand capabilities, the company is reinforcing its commitment to enhance the developer experience.

Leveraging the .NET starter as a differentiator

Starters are incredibly handy resources in the headless CMS toolbox. Agility's upgraded .NET Starter fully supports .NET 7, making it easier for developers to build powerful web applications using Agility CMS. 

The .NET Starter serves as a complement to Agility CMS's existing Next.js starter, providing versatile options for frontend development. With these assets, organizations can accelerate their development of more immersive omnichannel experiences. It's another example of how the headless CMS is supporting its customers, partners, and broader user community with the essential resources to be successful. 

According to Varty, building websites and web applications with .NET 7 and Agility CMS offers a beautiful, performant experience for users. At the same time, it delivers an amazing experience for both developers and editors. This squares with the platform's mission to empower both personas to create stunning digital experiences. 

“We believe editors should have full control over the pages on their website and should not rely on a developer to create new pages for them,” said Varty. “Our .NET starter simplifies this process by seamlessly sourcing content and automatically generating website pages based on the sitemap in Agility CMS. This unique approach puts the power in the hands of editors, enabling them to dictate the pages' availability, URLs, and the specific UI components that constitute each page.”

Agility's holistic approach helps ensure a more harmonious collaboration between editors and developers, resulting in seamless and efficient digital experiences. For example, using Agility's Layouts and Components, editors can easily compose various content types and determine their precise placement. Meanwhile, developers can play a crucial role in defining the available components in the CMS and their respective fields. 

The .NET Starter, just like its Next.js counterpart, empowers businesses to create flexible, composable solutions. This composability aligns with Agility's vision of enabling headless CMS users to choose and switch frontend technologies according to their preferences – all while maintaining the same content management capabilities.

Expanding API capabilities with GraphQL Beta 

A significant highlight of this release is Agility's GraphQL Beta. Developers now have the option to utilize GraphQL alongside the Fetch SDK, allowing them to pass typed objects and GraphQL queries to retrieve the data they need from Agility CMS with unmatched precision. 

This new feature allows for more efficient and fine-tuned data retrieval, enhancing the overall developer workflow.

Businesses are encouraged to explore the GraphQL Beta feature in Agility's .NET Starter. While the .NET Starter has received positive initial feedback, Agility CMS remains committed to continuous improvement and welcomes suggestions for further enhancements.

For more information on Agility's .NET Starter and GraphQL Beta, you can visit the company's website.