FusedthoughtLast Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled a beta version of WebMatrix, a free tool complementing the Web Platform, aimed at simplifying development of ASP.NET web applications.
Microsoft, previously bogged down (in my opinion) by the likes of MS Frontpage and the complex 1st version of Visual Studio, has gained much progression in it's web offerings, giving developers quite a respectable amount of tools (which are also easy to use) in recent years.
First impression
At the first glance, WebMatrix really feels the Windows 7 bundled Wordpad, with web/code development features. However, familiarity and simplicity is definitely in line with WebMatrix's pitch is being "small, simple and seamless".
Out of the box, the seemingly small bundle includes:
- IIS Developer Express (a development Web server),
- ASP.NET (a Web framework), and
- SQL Server Compact (an embedded database).
Also, included in this program is the "Razor" syntax, which Microsoft hopes will provide a more "streamlined for code-focused templating".
In my personal opinion, the software does give off a very familiar feel while not letting me feel extremely overwhelmed as compared to when I first open eclipse IDE or Visual Studio. I can definitely see myself using this piece of software on a day to day basis (if I can get off my notepad++).
I aren't too sure about the razor syntax though... Then again, I have not really coded ASP.Net applications,. I can see the benefits in a more compact code, but only time will tell if it'll be broadly accepted and adopted into the mainstream developer's workflow.
The Past
According to several online sources, WebMatrix has roots in the original ASP.Net WebMatrix tool, which was discontinued in 2003. This new WebMatrix marks the revival of the old project, bringing it under official support.
Qustions
WebMatrix includes the package downloading tool. So for example you want to develop using WordPress, DotNetNuke and Umbraco etc, the tool will determine the dependencies and install them together with the selected open-source project.
What had puzzled me though, was that while it does make sense to integrate this tool, it replicates what the Web Platform Installer (WebPI) has to offer. Maybe this will change in the future after WebMatrix comes out of beta and is fully integrated with WebPI 3?
Final Thoughts
Will WebMatrix be enough to entice more people to the Web Platform? I really don't know. In this era where many of the younger generation starting off with PHP and other open source technologies (because of perceived lower cost), it is definitely a worthy effort which we will only see the results in a few years.
However, I must concede that with WebMatrix, it does somewhat lower the barrier to entry for people looking into setting up a web development environment, and may potentially sway some people into adopting the Microsoft's Web offerings.