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More Flexible Routing For ASP.NET Web Pages

2012-02-01T21:52:50Z

The built-in Web Pages routing system offers a fair degree of freedom in terms of how friendly URLs can be constructed and managed. However, the major limitation with the standard routing mechanism is that it relies on matching segments of the URL to files on disk. ASP.NET MVC and Web Forms enjoy a much more flexible routing system. This article looks at a Package that brings full ASP.NET routing control to Web Pages and examines how to use it.

Using The Themes Helper In Razor Web Pages

2012-01-04T07:23:16Z

Web site skinning is a concept where by a web application user can personalise their experience, by choosing from a selection of prepared themes or skins. Each theme or skin might offer a different design, or content, or both. ASP.NET Web Forms has included a comprehensive Themes framework since version 2.0. WebMatrix developers can find Themes management functionality in the ASP.NET Web Helpers Library package available through the Package Manager. This article looks at how the Themes helper works.

Building A Razor Web Pages Site With Database First And Entity Framework

2012-01-04T07:26:06Z

Since I published an item covering Code First development with Entity Framework and WebMatrix, I have had a few requests to provide a guide to working with the Entity Framework from a database first point of view. This post answers those requests and provides a step by step guide to getting up and running with a WebMatrix web site based on the Northwind sample database that comes with SQL Server CE 4.0.

HTML Helpers For Forms In Razor Web Pages

2011-12-25T11:27:40Z

A nugget that has remained partially hidden from view within the Web Pages framework is the HtmlHelper class. Parts of this class peek out in the template sites provided in WebMatrix where validation is performed and related messages displayed, but a vast range of methods designed for rendering form inputs are often overlooked in tutorials, blog articles and books (mine included). This article provides an overview of Web Pages HTML Helpers, and digs into one or two in more detail.

Globalization And Localization With Razor Web Pages

2011-10-10T21:35:31+01:00

Globalization is the process of preparing your site so that it is accessible to as wide an audience as possible. This is largely achieved by presenting content in the native language of the visitor. This article explores how you can approach this task within the ASP.NET Web Pages framework.

Entity Framework Code First Development With WebMatrix

2011-12-30T08:57:58Z

The existing data access story for WebMatrix is the Database Helper. Microsoft's recommended data access technology going forward is the Entity Framework (EF). This article explores how to use the Code First capability offered by EF within an ASP.NET Web Pages application.

The WebGrid - Efficient Paging And Sorting With SQL CE 4.0

2011-10-04T17:46:55+01:00

A problem inherent in the existing version of the WebGrid is that it is not very efficient when it comes to paging data out of the box. If you have 10,000 rows of data, and you want to display 10 rows per page, all 10,000 rows are retrieved from the database for each page. The grid works out how to only show the current 10, and wastes the other 9,990 rows. That's a fair sized overhead on each page. Ideally, you should only retrieve the data you need for each page. This article examines how you can do that with the existing WebGrid and a SQL CE database, while still maintaining sorting capabilities.

Displaying Search Results In A WebGrid

2011-08-30T10:33:34+01:00

A number of people have run into problems when trying to combine a search or filter form, and a WebGrid. The main issue that arises is when paging or sorting the search result or a filtered subset of it. Here, I look at the cause of the problem and what you can do about it.

How To Maintain Scroll Position When Paging Or Sorting A WebGrid

2011-08-30T10:33:50+01:00

This snippet is one in a series showing how to use jQuery to enhance the behaviour of a Web Pages WebGrid. This example shows how to maintain scroll position on the page when paging or sorting the WebGrid.

How To Make A WebGrid Row Clickable

2011-08-30T10:34:20+01:00

This snippet is one in a series showing how to use jQuery to enhance the behaviour of a Web Pages WebGrid. This example shows how to make an entire row clickable so that the user is taken to another page that displays details of the selected row.

jQuery Autocomplete with Razor Web Pages and a SQL CE Database

2011-08-16T21:15:11+01:00

There are a number of autocomplete solutions for jQuery, including the widget that comes as part of the jQuery UI library. This article looks at incorporating the jQuery UI Autocomplete widget into a Razor-based ASP.NET Web Pages site.

WebMatrix and jQuery Forms Part 2 - Editing Data

2011-08-16T09:30:42+01:00

This article continues on from one I wrote a while ago, showing how to use jQuery to create a data entry form in conjunction with the WebGrid. The original article prompted a number of requests to show how to extend the example to provide editing functions, and now I have found some time to answer those requests.

WebMatrix Opens Wrong Version Of Visual Studio

2011-05-01T08:56:15+01:00

A number of people have complained that clicking the Visual Studio Launch button in WebMatrix opens Visual Studio 2008 instead of 2010. There is an easy fix to this.

Generating RSS and ATOM Feeds In WebMatrix

2011-04-12T12:36:10+01:00

I've previously looked at how to generate RSS feeds for both Web Forms and MVC using a variety of techniques, so it is only right that I look at a couple of ways to do this in Web Pages - the Razor based web development model supported by WebMatrix.

The Difference Between @Helpers and @Functions In WebMatrix

2011-03-20T09:47:31Z

This is another post which was inspired by a recent question in the ASP.NET forums, when someone asked what the difference is between @functions and @helpers in ASP.NET Web Pages. Here, I look at both of these contructs and explain what they are, how they are different, and how each should be used appropriately.

Data Access Choices For WebMatrix

2011-09-28T20:42:46+01:00

When WebMatrix was originally launched, it spurred a lot of activity from people who do not like seeing raw SQL statements in code files, or who perceived a problem working with dynamic objects. Some of these people threw their hands up in horror and tweeted or blogged their displeasure, while others felt the urge to do something about the "problem" as they saw it, and a number of open source data access projects have resulted. I've had a quick look at three projects to see what they might bring to the party.

Why You Can't Use Extension Methods With A WebGrid

2011-01-30T09:23:36Z

An interesting question came up recently on the ASP.NET forums. In it, the questioner was attempting to use my Chop() extension method to limit the number of characters in a WebGrid column but it wouldn't work. At first, I was a little stumped, so I tried it myself and got an error message:

I'm Writing A Book On WebMatrix

2011-01-22T13:55:11Z

Yes - it's official! I'm writing a book for Wiley all about Microsoft's new stack for beginner web developers - WebMatrix.

Creating A Custom Template For WebMatrix

2011-01-15T00:22:21Z

WebMatrix includes a number of pre-built templates that you can use as a basis for developing your site, but wouldn't it be great if you could add new ones? Well, there is a way to do so, and this article looks at the steps required.

The WebGrid Helper - Making Selections

2011-08-25T15:25:12+01:00

The WebGrid helper, introduced via ASP.NET Web Pages, provides a means for displaying tabular data easily. This article examines how to enable selection within the WebGrid at row level.