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WebMatrix Top Features

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image WebMatrix is everything you need to build Web sites using Windows.

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Here are the top WebMatrix features…

Small, but complete package

WebMatrix is a free Web development tool that installs in minutes and elegantly brings together a Web server, a database, and programming frameworks into a single, integrated experience. WebMatrix lets you code, test, and deploy both ASP.NET and PHP applications side by side.

Grows with you

With WebMatrix on your desktop, you’re using the same powerful Web server, database engine, and frameworks that your Web site on the internet uses. This ensures that your transition from development to production is smooth and seamless.

When you’re ready, WebMatrix integrates Visual Studio into your workflow. Connect to Visual Studio to take advantage of powerful features such as debugging and profiling. And when you’re ready for a high-volume relational database server, move your database and data from SQL Server Compact to SQL Server with just a click of the mouse.

Start > Open Source

WebMatrix connects you to a world of popular and free open-source Web applications, including DotNetNuke, Umbraco, WordPress, Joomla!, and more. Simply select an application from the built-in gallery, and WebMatrix handles the downloading and installation of your new Web site. The days of hand-editing configuration files and making sure you have all the right components are long gone. Customize your site using the built in code editor and make it yours.

Database made simple

Using a database has never been easier! WebMatrix includes a small, embedded database called SQL Server Compact that can live with your Web site code and content. Use it to start building your next Web site, and when you’re ready to publish, just copy the database file from your computer to any Web server and it will run— no extra installation required. Or you can easily migrate the database and data to SQL Server when you’re ready for high-volume traffic.

Elegant interface, simple experience

WebMatrix integrates a rich code editor, a database editor, Web server management, Search Engine Optimization, FTP publishing, and more, WebMatrix provides a fresh, new, Web site development experience that bridges all the key components you need to create, run, and deploy a Web site.

Simple to code

WebMatrix is the easiest way to learn standards-based Web development and makes it simple to build and publish Web sites on the internet. Start with HTML, CSS and JavaScript and then seamlessly connect to a database or add in dynamic server code using the new ‘Razor’ syntax for ASP.NET Web pages. Your code is easy to read, simple to learn, short to write and works with any text editor. Use built-in helper functions to connect to a database, display a Twitter feed, or embed a video. And with a seamless path to ASP.NET MVC it is now easier than ever to create powerful ASP.NET Web applications.

More than "Hello, World"

Want to display a Twitter feed? Need to show a video? Code helpers make common tasks easy to do with just a simple tag in your HTML.

Desktop or server, it’s all the same

WebMatrix uses the same powerful Web server, database engine, and frameworks environment that will run your Web site on the Internet, which makes the transition from development to product seamless.

Tightly knit, fully integrated

WebMatrix integrates with IIS Developer Express and is tightly linked with the Web server components that run your site. Directly monitor real-time Web requests and responses to track down problems right at the source. Missing an image? You’ll instantly see why and where, and WebMatrix will take you directly to the file to fix the problem.

Run an SEO report and find how to make your site more visible to search engines. WebMatrix takes the secrets out of search engine optimization, provides clear guidance on how to make your site better, and even offers to take you right to the file in your site you need to fix.

Site publishing

With WebMatrix you can find the perfect home for your Web site. Use WebMatrix to find a Web host that fits your requirements and use the built-in publishing support for FTP, FTPS, and WebDeploy to ensure that your files, databases, and settings arrive intact on the web.

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