MVC-Starter - Project Overview
Date: 2026-03-11T11:59:39Z
Type: web
Architecture: Server-rendered MVC monolith
Executive Summary
MVC-Starter is a RouteKit Classic ASP starter for building server-rendered MVC applications on Windows IIS. It combines a shared framework/runtime layer in core/ with application-specific controllers and views in app/, and supports database-backed features through Access and VBScript-based scaffolding.
Project Classification
- Repository Type: monolith
- Project Type(s): web
- Primary Language(s): VBScript, Classic ASP
- Architecture Pattern: Starter/framework hybrid MVC monolith
Technology Stack Summary
- Runtime: Classic ASP on IIS
- Routing/dispatch: RouteKit-style router and MVC dispatcher
- Data: ADO + Microsoft Access
- UI: Bootstrap CDN + server-rendered ASP views
- Tooling: Windows Script Host VBScript scripts
Key Features
- Front-controller request flow through
public/Default.asp
- Controller whitelist and dynamic dispatch in
core/mvc.asp
- Shared header/footer layout for page rendering
- Generator-assisted migrations, repositories, and controllers
- Included starter pages for home and 404 handling
Architecture Highlights
- Single deployable web app
- Clear split between runtime/framework code and app-specific code
- Config-driven behavior through
public/web.config
- Manual but structured development workflow through scripts and route/controller wiring
Development Overview
Prerequisites
- Windows + IIS + Classic ASP
- IIS URL Rewrite
- Microsoft Access Database Engine
cscript for tooling
Getting Started
Point IIS at public/, update public/web.config, then validate the home page loads. Use the provided VBScript generators to create migrations, repositories, and controllers for new features.
Key Commands
- Generate migration:
cscript //nologo scripts\generateMigration.vbs create_my_table
- Generate repo:
cscript //nologo scripts\GenerateRepo.vbs /table:my_table /pk:id
- Generate controller:
cscript //nologo scripts\generateController.vbs MyController "Index;Show(id)"
- Run migrations:
cscript //nologo scripts\runMigrations.vbs status
Repository Structure
public/ is the web entry surface, core/ is the framework/runtime layer, app/ is the application layer, db/ contains database assets, and scripts/ contains operational tooling.
Documentation Map