How is it to hire a ASP.Net Developer

[TotallySport]

Hi

Does anyone know what the going rate for an ASP.Net Developer? we have a list of things which need doing, and although would love to hire someone we cannot do that at the moment.

Also if I needed some HTML and Jquery rebuilding would the rate change? It would be linked to the above work but could I get a cheaper rate? (it would help massively if they had an asp.net background, as there would also be an amount of ajax).

Also where is the best place to look.

Any info would be appriciated.

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

There are a few of us on the forum, most the ones I could think of contributed in this thread

I'd be happy to take a look and provide a quote but I would struggle to start anything major for around 2 weeks with my current workload.

Other options are the freelance websites, i've used People Per Hour, there is Elance and others (another thread in this section past few days)

 

[carents]

For a local freelancer, it could be around 10£ to 25£ DOE.

You can find remote worker through freelance website like vWorker or oDesk etc.

And for your last query, the rates usually remain same as they are working, doesn't matter if they are doing highly technical or labour work.

I have my team (and myself) with expertise specifically in Microsoft technologies. If you want to discuss in detail, than PM me.

I can also manage freelancers hired by you. To technically guide them and make them understand your requirements and deadlines. Suits best, if you don't have any experience at all with getting software projects done.

Thanks.

 

[Faevilangel]

Your best look would be asp.net forums as that's where a lot of developers will hang out, mainly freelancers though. Most developers will have a set price for any work they do but you could go to a HTML / jQuery developer for one part of the work and then do the asp developer for the other part.

On average, an asp developer is going to charge more for their time than someone who dabbles in html / Javascript. Average hourly rate will be then £40-£80 an hour depending on location and expertise, and depends if it's an agency or a freelancer.

 

[JDX_John]

You could look on ITJobsWatch, it reckons about £300/day or £40/hour. That is for a professional contractor rather than a freelancer but I would say is a good benchmark for someone who knows their stuff. You might well find people charging half that who are good, but ask about past work and/or references for a freelancer.

 

[TotallySport]

Thanks for the info, I would prefer someone local, as I want to sit down and discuss things with them in very fine detail, basically, I want someone to fix and advice on the rubbish code I have produced.

Plus I am building this on my PC and then will upload it later, so also not sure how this will work

I don't need anyone at this moment in time, I want to get a few more bits finished first. (although if I can get the wheels turning it would make my life easier, as I could focus on the stuff I need, and not the stuff I am worrying about)

I know I could get a good .Net developer to do the Jquery, but is it likely that I could get a cheaper jquery developer to sort my very rubbish html/css and Jquery out, they would need to understand Asp.Net but not have the full insite that I would need the more experienced >net stuff for.

I have tried outsourcing before and it's not gone well.

 

[greenbox]

agree with John for someone who knows what their doing you should be looking at least 300 pd

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

I want someone to fix and advice on the rubbish code I have produced.

That starts alarm bells ringing for any developer! I'm sure it's not as bad as you make out but if it's a case of you've got so far and are stuck you may well have taken the wrong approach at the start. I've done it before myself!

Taking on someone elses code is the worst kind of programming job there is

 

Taking on someone elses code is the worst kind of programming job there is

Sooo true!!!

And btw - there are plenty of ways to 'sit' and 'talk' with someone not local with full audio/video and screen-sharing if needed.

 

[DotNetWebs]

...but you could go to a HTML / jQuery developer for one part of the work and then do the asp developer for the other part...

Personally I think that's a bad idea.

If you have a modern AJAX asp.net/mvc site then the client and server code will be so tightly integrated both sides would have to work together and have virtually the same knowledge of the architecture to achieve the desired result.

Regards

Dotty

 

[TotallySport]

That starts alarm bells ringing for any developer! I'm sure it's not as bad as you make out but if it's a case of you've got so far and are stuck you may well have taken the wrong approach at the start. I've done it before myself!

Taking on someone elses code is the worst kind of programming job there is

TBH, most of the code I am happy with, the part I am not happy with is overall how its put together, part of what I want to achieve is for someone to help give my project a better structure and explain a few bits, so that I can go back and clean everything up, I am not expecting someone to take on my code (well not yet anyway)

The parts I am after at the moment are just a little over my head, and although I could sort it, it might take longer than I want, so I want to hire someone thats already done it, then I can look at it and copy the same princple for other parts which do the same.

 

[TotallySport]

Sooo true!!!

And btw - there are plenty of ways to 'sit' and 'talk' with someone not local with full audio/video and screen-sharing if needed.

I have tried out sourcing this and taking screen shots videos and confrencing is a night mare, I need to be able to sit down and discuss it with someone in detail, I don't have a problem with traveling to see someone or them coming to me, but its much easier and less time consuming doing it face to face.

 

[TotallySport]

Personally I think that's a bad idea.

If you have a modern AJAX asp.net/mvc site then the client and server code will be so tightly integrated both sides would have to work together and have virtually the same knowledge of the architecture to achieve the desired result.

Regards

Dotty

I do think the person needs to know some asp.net but as mentioned in an ealier post I would like them to be able to recommend the best way to set this up, so if I need to add it in the future I know what to do. I know there is a better way to what I have setup, and I know the princple of it, but I don't know the rest and don't have the time to fix it to the standard I need.

 

[DotNetWebs]

I do think the person needs to know some asp.net but as mentioned in an ealier post I would like them to be able to recommend the best way to set this up, so if I need to add it in the future I know what to do. I know there is a better way to what I have setup, and I know the princple of it, but I don't know the rest and don't have the time to fix it to the standard I need.

Yes I was talking generally as I obviously don't know your specific requirements.

There has been some tremendous improvements to .net in recent years and there are many different ways to tackle any given problem.

In many ways understanding the architecture and how best to apply it is more important that any individual language skill IMO.

Regards

Dotty

 

[TotallySport]

Yes I was talking generally as I obviously don't know your specific requirements.

There has been some tremendous improvements to .net in recent years and there are many different ways to tackle any given problem.

In many ways understanding the architecture and how best to apply it is more important that any individual language skill IMO.

Regards

Dotty

Yes I know, I just wanted to make it clear what I was after incase someone needed clarity.

I understand your comment I am using ASP.NET, MVC 3, Code First and the Entity Framework and although much better than Classic ASP, its a mind field to find tutorials, and asking for the right information well, there a number of ways to do it well, but a million to do it badly lol

I want to get some work done for me thats a little over my head at the moment, so I can learn from it and speed up my project, oooo the joys

 

[DotNetWebs]

...its a mind field to find tutorials...

Have you looked at the pluralsight video course that is available free on the MVC page at the moment?

http://www.asp.net/mvc

I went through them when switching from MVC2 to 3 as the Razor view engine is quiet different. I found them very useful.

Regards

Dotty

 

[TotallySport]

Yes I have looked at alot of the videos on pluralsight, but part of my problem is I don't really know c# or MVC, I just know the bits I am using, so I don't really know enough, especially on how to link up classes properly, and I know this is fairly basic but I don't really know where to look, and my subscription has run out.

And even then plural site is good for princples but anything above that and its a little restricted.

Come to think of it, I also need some DB trigger writting, the list keeps getting bigger lol

 

[DotNetWebs]

... my problem is I don't really know c# or MVC...

I see. Well those video are really only for converting to the MVC 3 model and assume a basic knowledge so its sounds like you need to go back to basics.

I don't know where to suggest but I would look for beginners books/courses based on C#/.net 4 and MVC

With the greatest of respect, if you don't know "how to link up classes properly" any developer you hire is probably going to want to tear up your entire project and start again.

Regards

Dotty

 

[TotallySport]

I see. Well those video are really only for converting to the MVC 3 model and assume a basic knowledge so its sounds like you need to go back to basics.

I don't know where to suggest but I would look for beginners books/courses based on C#/.net 4 and MVC

With the greatest of respect, if you don't know "how to link up classes properly" any developer you hire is probably going to want to tear up your entire project and start again.

Regards

Dotty

lol, I have gone through a few books and a few online tutorials, but I still don't get certain parts.

But they don't answer the questions I want to ask, they only use very general information normally only relavent to that example and there are a number of ways to link classes and lots of different class types.

I have done a few online tutorials and examples, and have have used examples to get everything to work, 90% of what I have done is OK, and it wouldn't take be long to re build it, after I figure out the bits I need.

I wanted to download the MVC version of nopcommerce but I cannot get it to deploy after download so I can look at the structure, (I was recommended thier source code on the ASP.NET forum).

However the code I want doing now can be built seperatly and I can add it into my code so thats also not an issue.

 

[TotallySport]

also Unit Testing......I still haven't figure that out lol

 

[DotNetWebs]

If I had to give up all my sources of reference except one (and I have many!) this is the one I would never let go:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/4-0-Nutshell-Definitive-Reference-OReilly/dp/0596800959

It's not a tutorial, it's a [comprehensive] reference.

But if you look carefully it will have every detail you need and you should be able to work out merits of using the various tools that are available to you.

For me the biggest advancement in recent years is LINQ.

LINQ[toObjects] often means I can compress many lines of code into a single terse statement. It's definitely a subject that's worth reading up on.

Regards

Dotty

 

[JDX_John]

I have tried out sourcing this and taking screen shots videos and confrencing is a night mare, I need to be able to sit down and discuss it with someone in detail, I don't have a problem with traveling to see someone or them coming to me, but its much easier and less time consuming doing it face to face.

I agree, but have you tried more advanced technologies like virtual white-boards, remote screen-sharing (where both sides can take control), etc? It's not quite the same but it's close.

You could simply advertise on Jobserve - do you have an office they can work from?

 

[TotallySport]

If I had to give up all my sources of reference except one (and I have many!) this is the one I would never let go:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/4-0-Nutshell-Definitive-Reference-OReilly/dp/0596800959

It's not a tutorial, it's a [comprehensive] reference.

But if you look carefully it will have every detail you need and you should be able to work out merits of using the various tools that are available to you.

For me the biggest advancement in recent years is LINQ.

LINQ[toObjects] often means I can compress many lines of code into a single terse statement. It's definitely a subject that's worth reading up on.

Regards

Dotty

Thanks for that I will, see if I can find it in our local shop, I have to admit I love the entity framework, it builds all my databases for me in developement stages, and I haven't built one SQL statement, just use Lambda expressions and its very clever, but I do think some of the examples are a bit rubbish, but forums do get the answers.

However if I had to read everything, there are masive reference materal for LINQ, Entity Framework, C#, MVC, HTML, CSS, Jquery, Ajax, SQL Server, and I hate reading lol.

I am getting there but its taking time, I will look at links and resources people have mentioned, thanks for the info, if anyone wants to PM their more than welcome.

Thanks for all the help, and info.

 

[TotallySport]

I agree, but have you tried more advanced technologies like virtual white-boards, remote screen-sharing (where both sides can take control), etc? It's not quite the same but it's close.

You could simply advertise on Jobserve - do you have an office they can work from?

I haven't tried the more complex stuff, and if someone had done what i want before I might try it, I wouldn't rule out someone a bit further away, but they would have to have done something similar before, and i would prefer to keep them local if possible, cos I am much better at explaining things in person, with pencil and paper.

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

I haven't tried the more complex stuff, and if someone had done what i want before I might try it, I wouldn't rule out someone a bit further away, but they would have to have done something similar before, and i would prefer to keep them local if possible, cos I am much better at explaining things in person, with pencil and paper.

Your right, even with all the technology you can't beat sitting down with someone, pencil and paper in hand and going through the detail.

For me a pen and paper is the first stage of any software project to work out the main points, general structure and how it will all work together. It's also the place to go back too when stuck. It's so easy to sit at the computer trying things you don't really understand to see if they work, better to move away, start noting down ideas and come up with the right solution.

 

[DotNetWebs]

... LINQ, Entity Framework...

I must admit I am not a great fan of the Entity Framework or LINQ to SQL.

Like a lot of MS stuff the demos look great at it will allow you to get up and running far more quickly than if you didn't use it.

But..... Sooner or later you will need to do something that requires you to get involved at a lower-level anyway.

My opinion is it's great for quick prototypes and demos but got long-term maintainable projects where you have full control - you are better of creating your own Stored Procedures and Data-Access Objects.

Regards

Dotty

 

[JDX_John]

you are better of creating your own Stored Procedures and Data-Access Objects.

Or using a proper framework like (n)Hibernate.

Although personally I don't mind writing DAOs, despite it being seen as old-school by the people who insist on buying 100% into whichever methodology is currently in vogue.

 

[TotallySport]

I must admit I am not a great fan of the Entity Framework or LINQ to SQL.

Like a lot of MS stuff the demos look great at it will allow you to get up and running far more quickly than if you didn't use it.

But..... Sooner or later you will need to do something that requires you to get involved at a lower-level anyway.

My opinion is it's great for quick prototypes and demos but got long-term maintainable projects where you have full control - you are better of creating your own Stored Procedures and Data-Access Objects.

Regards

Dotty

The entity framework works with stored proceedures, and part of a later redesign I am sure will include building in stored proceedures to Optimise the SQL, but at the moment to get online quickly I am using a fair amount of lazy loading which I also think will need to change to use eager loading to optimise loading times, but I can work that in later.

From what I read the EF is a marmite type thing.

 

[TotallySport]

Or using a proper framework like (n)Hibernate.

Although personally I don't mind writing DAOs, despite it being seen as old-school by the people who insist on buying 100% into whichever methodology is currently in vogue.

TBH the first tutorials that were suggest were Entity Framework and Code First, so I don't know anything else, but anything that saves me work, I like, and at the time I didn't know where to look to find out alternatives, but at this moment I am happy with it.

I has taken some time to figure out, how to insert and update, getting my head round it was a pain but now I get it, I really like it, beats building all the SQL like i did in Classic ASP, I have never used stored proceedures yet, its also on my todo list. I also have to build some triggers again which I haven't done before.

Also just to add I have been able to deploy the nopcommerce source code, so will be able to have a snoop around and look t how they use classes and hoppefully work it out and the structure. I find looking at examples makes more sense although when they get really complicated it makes it harder work lol.

 

[DotNetWebs]

Or using a proper framework like (n)Hibernate.

Although personally I don't mind writing DAOs, despite it being seen as old-school....

lol yes I must be "old school" too then!.

But as I mentioned before in my experience what ever framework or latest-fashion-tool you end up using, sooner or later you willl have to go to a lower level anyway so you will be well-placed if you understand "old-school" techniques.

Regards

Dotty

 

[Deleted member 122319]

Although we don't do much web stuff, we do a lot of software design/development and by far the easiest place to start is a blank sheet of paper. Unfortunately, the billy bunters often have a massive legacy code base that the "new work" must integrate with/support. That's real life engineering, unfortunately. If you go in saying "this all needs re-writing", you can seem a bit green, no matter how true this is. We all know what it feels like if you call in a sparky, for instance, and he starts off with "'`oo done that then?" followed by "it's a complete re-wire, I'm afraid".

 

[TotallySport]

Although we don't do much web stuff, we do a lot of software design/development and by far the easiest place to start is a blank sheet of paper. Unfortunately, the billy bunters often have a massive legacy code base that the "new work" must integrate with/support. That's real life engineering, unfortunately. If you go in saying "this all needs re-writing", you can seem a bit green, no matter how true this is. We all know what it feels like if you call in a sparky, for instance, and he starts off with "'`oo done that then?" followed by "it's a complete re-wire, I'm afraid".

Its always easiest to start with a blank pece of paper but business nor life works like that, we don't want nor need pre built scripts and code that are enginerred to other peoples systems, thats like asking a gas fitter how to repair and electric oven and them saying you will need to install gas, where the blank bit of paper comes out so they can start planning gas and charging me over the odds.

My point is I need to be able to hand this over to another developer at some point, the code I have is good but needs putting in a better order which confirms to general standards, so i need to understand the structure so I can change everything around so other people will know where to look and how to grow the system.

 

[Cohesive Computing]

I must admit I am not a great fan of the Entity Framework or LINQ to SQL.

Like a lot of MS stuff the demos look great at it will allow you to get up and running far more quickly than if you didn't use it.

But..... Sooner or later you will need to do something that requires you to get involved at a lower-level anyway.

My opinion is it's great for quick prototypes and demos but got long-term maintainable projects where you have full control - you are better of creating your own Stored Procedures and Data-Access Objects.

Regards

Dotty

You don't know how soothing that comment was for me!

Also, there are free fully configurable DAO code generation tools. You can author your own code generation templates in place of those used by the EF code generator.

ORM frameworks? I say forget them. I developed an ORM framework using C++ about 13 years ago and came to the conclusion that for non-trivial systems, they're more trouble than beneficial.

 

[amageek78]

Hi,

I would be more than happy to help. where are you based?

Richard

 

[TotallySport]

with an intro like that I am so impressed I will ask for a PM

 

[amageek78]

lol, I've been working in MVC 3.0 and .Net 4.0 inc Entity Framework since early betas so I know it pretty much inside out if you need a hand. Been developing in .net since betas of version 1. I'd rather like the exposure of a few more sites to add to my portfolio more than anything, so happy to help.

 

[TotallySport]

Thanks for the info, although its not a PM, but we are in Manchester and your in watford, so your a little far away unless your in Manchester on a regular basis.