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A free software that contains a pack for web developers who use SQL and ASP.NET

A free software that contains a pack for web developers who use SQL and ASP.NET

Vote: (25 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Microsoft

Version: 3.0

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(25 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Microsoft

3.0

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Great support for third party extensions
  • A nicely designed platform that folds publishing and coding into one package

Cons

  • No longer being supported by Microsoft
  • Requires a technical understanding of web coding

WebMatrix is a free development tool from Microsoft designed to facilitate website design. If it seems like Microsoft has a software tool for just about any task you could imagine, you're not mistaken. Before Google revitalized modern office tools with their cloud-based suite, Microsoft dominated the market for decades with their polished MS Office programs. WebMatrix looks to corner the web design market in much the same way that their earlier products did; but unfortunately, not every release can be a hit on the scale of something like Excel or Powerpoint. While WebMatrix offers the polish you can come to expect from Microsoft and does some things very right, a few flaws keep it from ascending to the top of the food chain as the number one tool for web developers.

That said, there's a lot that Microsoft does right here, and some of that comes from their willingness to adapt to the innovations of their competitors. Built to operate squarely out of your browser and structured off of cloud technology, WebMatrix owes a debt of gratitude to Google and their work pioneering the field. But the convenient access that such a structure provides is just the icing on the cake for a generally well produced development tool. This is a comprehensive tool, containing the means to code and publish their sites from scratch. Just keep in mind that it's designed with professionals in mind, and end users looking for a WYSIWYG interface where they can just plug and play elements into a site could be in for a rude awakening.

But professionals will discover a software platform well worth their time. WebMatrix's support for Node is a big deal, but the interface is where this software really shines. While it's built with serious developers in mind, that doesn't mean they'll need to start from scratch. WebMatrix comes equipped with a number of different templates, and it can even support existing frameworks like those for Drupal and WordPress. Microsoft can even deploy your site automatically through the use of Azure and provide you with neat integration with third party platforms. The extensions available are vast, befitting the size and proficiency of Microsoft, and the extension manager is very easy to work with. The extension editor and code editor alone are well worth investment, but anyone who wants to get their hands wet will need to have a solid understanding of coding beforehand.

It's worth noting that Microsoft has discontinued development on WebMatrix. While you can still find it for download, the software hasn't been supported since late 2017, and the more time passes, the more irrelevant it will become. Web development is a quick moving business, and what was once the shiny new model can quickly become a junker practically overnight.

Pros

  • Great support for third party extensions
  • A nicely designed platform that folds publishing and coding into one package

Cons

  • No longer being supported by Microsoft
  • Requires a technical understanding of web coding