1. WebMatrix: See What the
Matrix Can Do For You
Frédéric Harper
Developer Evangelist @ Microsoft Canada
@fharper | outofcomfortzone.net

2. Agenda
• What is WebMatrix?
• Who is WebMatrix for?
• Razor syntax
• Database access
• Helpers
• App Gallery & OSS Apps

3. My goals

4. My goals

5. My goals
1. Show you how it’s easy to use WebMatrix to
create awesome websites or Web applications

6. WebMatrix

7. What is WebMatrix
It’s a free tool that makes it easy to
Create
Configure
Publish
your websites and web applications

8. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates

9. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates
2. Web Server: IIS Express

10. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates
2. Web Server: IIS Express
3. Standards Support: HTML, CSS, JavaScript

11. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates
2. Web Server: IIS Express
3. Standards Support: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
4. Scripting Support: ASP.NET & PHP

12. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates
2. Web Server: IIS Express
3. Standards Support: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
4. Scripting Support: ASP.NET & PHP
5. DB Manager: SQL Server & MySQL

13. What is WebMatrix
1. Web App Gallery & Templates
2. Web Server: IIS Express
3. Standards Support: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
4. Scripting Support: ASP.NET & PHP
5. DB Manager: SQL Server & MySQL
6. Optimization Tools: SEO & Performance

14. Who is WebMatrix for?
I <3 Web Apps. I want to build web I’m a professional
I just need a tool that sites myself with an software developer
makes them easier to easy to learn tool and I build complex,
configure, customize and framework large scale web sites
and publish with a team of
developers

15. Two ways to build

16. Two ways to build
Option A:
From Scratch

17. Two ways to build
Option A: Option B:
From Scratch From Web App

18. A lap around WebMatrix

19. Razor

20. What is Razor

21. What is Razor
1. A new view engine

22. What is Razor
1. A new view engine
2. Compact, Expressive, and Fluid

23. What is Razor
1. A new view engine
2. Compact, Expressive, and Fluid
3. Easy to Learn

24. What is Razor
1. A new view engine
2. Compact, Expressive, and Fluid
3. Easy to Learn
4. Is not a new language

25. What is Razor
1. A new view engine
2. Compact, Expressive, and Fluid
3. Easy to Learn
4. Is not a new language
5. Works with any Text Editor

26. What is Razor
1. A new view engine
2. Compact, Expressive, and Fluid
3. Easy to Learn
4. Is not a new language
5. Works with any Text Editor
6. Has great Intellisense & Unit Testable

27. Introducing Razor
<ul>
<% for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) { %>
Web Forms
<li><% =i %></li>
(6 transitions): <% } %>
</ul>
<ul>
<?php
PHP for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++) {
(2 transitions & an echo): echo("<li>$i</li>");
}
?>
</ul>
<ul>
@for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
Razor
<li>@i</li>
(2 transitions): }
</ul>

28. Code to markup easily
@{
var name = “John Doe”;
Option 1:
<div>
HTML Block Your name: @name
</div>
}
@{
var name = “John Doe”;
Option 2: <text>
Text Block Your name: @name
</text>
}
@{
Option 3: var name = “John Doe”;
Single line of output @: Your name: @name
in markup }

29. Commenting
@*
Option 1: <div>
Markup Hello World
</div>
*@
@{
Option 2: //var name = "John Doe”;
Code //@name
}
@*
@{
Option 3: //var name = "John Doe";
Both //@name
}
*@

30. Database

31. Database
• SQL Compact Edition
• File-based, so it’s portable. Runs without a server.
• Easy to design, easy to code against
Designing
Coding
@{
var db = Database.Open("ArtGallery");
var product = db.Query("SELECT * FROM PRODUCTS);
}

32. Database access

33. Helpers

34. What are Helpers?
Helpers make it easy to quickly add
commonly used functionality into your
websites
and many more…

35. Two categories
HTML Helpers Make is faster and easier to
render commonly used
• Facebook markup to the page.
• Twitter
• …
API Helpers Make is faster and easier
to call complex APIs from
• PayPal your website.
• Windows Azure Storage
• …

36. Helpers

37. App Gallery & OSS Apps

38. OSS Apps
1. Free
2. Popular = large community
3. Gets you close to the solution quickly
4. Easy to configure

39. Build on the success of Web PI
Web Platform Installer WebMatrix
Download  

Install (inc. dependencies) 
Customize 
SEO Analysis 
Publish 

40. App Gallery

41. Conclusion

42. Next steps
1. Install WebMatrix
2. Play with it
1. Create a new website with templates or from scratch
2. Edit an existing one
3. Deploy an app by using the App Gallery
3. Unleash the power of the Matrix & have fun

43. Resources
• http://microsoft.com/web/webmatrix
• http://asp.net/webmatrixresource (v1 tutorials)
• http://www.webnotwar.ca/

44. Earn your badges + win prizes!
Attend a session + earn a badge http://j.mp/ySmHz7
Fill out the form after your last session http://j.mp/ypFf0Q on
March 8th
More sessions = more badges = more prizes!
9 prizes will be drawn on March 15th:
3 badges = 3 XBOX/Kinect bundles
5 badges = 3 Windows Phone devices
7 badges = 3 Amex gift cards of 500$
Remember more badges = more chances to win !!!

45. Questions
Frederic Harper, Developer Evangelist
fredh@microsoft.com
@fharper
http://webnotwar.ca
http://outofcomfortzone.net

46. Thank You!