Asp.net-mvc – Difference Between ViewData and TempData

The code is taken from http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/shay/archive/2009/03/06/real-world-error-hadnling-in-asp-net-mvc-rc2.aspx and works in ASP.net MVC 1.0 as well

Here's how I handle http exceptions:

protected void Application_Error(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
   Exception exception = Server.GetLastError();
   // Log the exception.

   ILogger logger = Container.Resolve<ILogger>();
   logger.Error(exception);

   Response.Clear();

   HttpException httpException = exception as HttpException;

   RouteData routeData = new RouteData();
   routeData.Values.Add("controller", "Error");

   if (httpException == null)
   {
       routeData.Values.Add("action", "Index");
   }
   else //It's an Http Exception, Let's handle it.
   {
       switch (httpException.GetHttpCode())
       {
          case 404:
              // Page not found.
              routeData.Values.Add("action", "HttpError404");
              break;
          case 500:
              // Server error.
              routeData.Values.Add("action", "HttpError500");
              break;

           // Here you can handle Views to other error codes.
           // I choose a General error template  
           default:
              routeData.Values.Add("action", "General");
              break;
      }
  }           

  // Pass exception details to the target error View.
  routeData.Values.Add("error", exception);

  // Clear the error on server.
  Server.ClearError();

  // Avoid IIS7 getting in the middle
  Response.TrySkipIisCustomErrors = true; 

  // Call target Controller and pass the routeData.
  IController errorController = new ErrorController();
  errorController.Execute(new RequestContext(    
       new HttpContextWrapper(Context), routeData));
}

Classic mode (the only mode in IIS6 and below) is a mode where IIS only works with ISAPI extensions and ISAPI filters directly. In fact, in this mode, ASP.NET is just an ISAPI extension (aspnet_isapi.dll) and an ISAPI filter (aspnet_filter.dll). IIS just treats ASP.NET as an external plugin implemented in ISAPI and works with it like a black box (and only when it's needs to give out the request to ASP.NET). In this mode, ASP.NET is not much different from PHP or other technologies for IIS.

Integrated mode, on the other hand, is a new mode in IIS7 where IIS pipeline is tightly integrated (i.e. is just the same) as ASP.NET request pipeline. ASP.NET can see every request it wants to and manipulate things along the way. ASP.NET is no longer treated as an external plugin. It's completely blended and integrated in IIS. In this mode, ASP.NET HttpModules basically have nearly as much power as an ISAPI filter would have had and ASP.NET HttpHandlers can have nearly equivalent capability as an ISAPI extension could have. In this mode, ASP.NET is basically a part of IIS.