asp-classic-unified-framework/docs/architecture.md

MVC-Starter - Architecture

Date: 2026-03-11T11:59:39Z Project Type: web Architecture: Server-rendered MVC monolith

Executive Summary

MVC-Starter is a Classic ASP starter application built around a single IIS-hosted deployable unit. Requests enter through public/Default.asp, flow through a shared runtime in core/, and resolve into application-specific controllers and views under app/.

Technology Stack

• Classic ASP / VBScript
• Windows IIS with URL Rewrite
• RouteKit-style router and MVC dispatcher
• Microsoft Access via ACE OLE DB
• Bootstrap 5.3.3 and Bootstrap Icons 1.11.3 from CDN
• VBScript tooling for scaffolding and migrations

Architecture Pattern

Starter/framework hybrid MVC monolith:

• public/ handles web entry and IIS-facing config
• core/ handles routing, dispatch, validation, helpers, and DAL concerns
• app/ contains project-specific behavior and server-rendered views
• db/ and scripts/ support data and operational workflows

Request Flow

1. IIS receives the request.
2. public/web.config rewrites non-static requests to public/Default.asp.
3. Default.asp registers routes and calls MVC.DispatchRequest.
4. core/mvc.asp validates controller/action names, checks whitelist registration, resolves the current controller dynamically, and executes the target action.
5. Shared layout files wrap the response if useLayout is enabled.

Data Architecture

• Database configuration is read from public/web.config.
• db/webdata.accdb is the included Access database.
• DAL and migration helpers live in core/.
• Repositories and POBOs are expected to be generated via scripts/GenerateRepo.vbs.

Component Overview

• Controllers: app/controllers/
• Views: app/views/
• Shared layout: app/views/shared/
• Runtime/framework: core/
• Scaffolding/tooling: scripts/

Source Tree

See source-tree-analysis.md for the annotated directory breakdown.

Development Workflow

• Generate migration
• Generate POBO/repository
• Generate controller
• Register controller include, whitelist, and routes
• Add views and validate via IIS-hosted execution

Deployment Architecture

• Single IIS site
• public/ as web root
• XML config in public/web.config
• No separate service/process topology detected

Testing Strategy

• No automated test framework detected
• Manual request-flow verification is required
• Script tooling can be validated via cscript

Architectural Constraints

• Dynamic dispatch means naming and registration consistency are part of runtime correctness.
• core/, public/Default.asp, and public/web.config are high-impact files.
• The architecture assumes Windows/IIS hosting rather than cross-platform portability.