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The ASP.NET Web Matrix Project - Version 0.6

Goodies, Goodies, and More Goodies

Quite a bit happened in the ASP.NET world this week. Here's the email I got from my Microsoft contact giving me the head's up on all the news. The names have been removed to protect the guilty!  ;)

Hi John,

I know that you are familiar with ASP.NET Web Matrix project, but I wanted to highlight today’s ASP.NET related news. In summary, Microsoft announced a refresh on ASP.NET Web Matrix, release of the ASP.NET Starter Kits, info on the ASP.NET Web Hosting Program and the MSDN ASP.NET Developer Center.

The main points on the Web Matrix refresh are several new features based on feedback from the community as well as bug fixes the community helped Microsoft to identify. Although there will be more detailed information via Help which accompanies the install, below is a brief list of these new features:

1. Data administration feature for Access .mdb files along with SQL and MSDE databases. Access is also supported in drag/drop, and data code wizards.
2. Live user control rendering in the design surface.
3. Style editing and Table editing in design view.
4. Improved the robustness of FTP connections, esp. while working against 3rd party FTP servers.
5. Various workspace improvements, such as preserving it across sessions.
6. Various code editor improvements esp. in the area of tab and space options.
7. Unified plugin model for Add-ins, Code Wizards, and Document Wizards (a document on writing these is in the works and will be available in a couple of weeks).
8. Improved class browser search capabilities.
9. Added support for J#.
10. Improved visual appearance under themed Windows XP desktops.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to speak to the ASP.NET product manager. And as usual, any and all feedback is very welcome.

Now if you've been paying attention you've already heard about the ASP.NET Starter Kits in our News Flash (though they are release versions now) and the ASP.NET Web Hosting Program isn't all that exciting for developers, but the MSDN ASP.NET Developer Center is pretty cool as another source to check for the latest happenings in the ASP.NET world and an update to the ASP.NET Web Matrix Project is a very good thing!

ASP.NET Web Matrix Project - Reloaded!

Neo has just hours until 250,000 probes reach Zion and destroy it... oh wait... that's the other Matrix. This isn't quite as exciting, but almost...

For the most part it's the same old Web Matrix you know and love... only now it's even better. Apart from the new feature list above, I'm not gonna say very much because it so small (the whole thing fits on a floppy!) that you can download it for yourself and take your own look at it. Here are some screen shots to tide you over while it downloads:

It's still a "Technology Preview"... whatever that means:

Notice the more XP-like toolbars and buttons:

More Information

• ASP.NET Web Matrix Project Homepage
• Download the ASP.NET Web Matrix
• Take the ASP.NET Web Matrix Project Guided Tour