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Classic ASP website - add features or start from scratch?

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  • 09-11-2011 1:29pm
    #1
    D Hayes
    Registered Users Posts: 511 ✭✭✭


    Looking for some advice on a potential project I might be undertaking. The current site is developed using classic ASP by a third party. The clients are looking for some new features to be added to the website.

    My dilemma is as follows:

    - Do I add the new features using classic ASP? I have experience with classic ASP, but it's an outdated technology.
    - Do I propose a complete overhaul of the website using more up-to-date technologies? ASP.Net MVC, for example. The issue here is that the site is working fine, so I'm not sure how I can convince the client to spend more money on an overhaul. To redevelop the site would probably cost double the amount to add the new features using classic ASP.
    - Do I add the new features using .Net? Could be messy by mixing the technologies

    Any thoughts?


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    #2
    stevenmu
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    I wouldn't mix the technologies, it's certainly possible but you're leaving yourself a potential minefield for future support and feature additions.

    As for the other two options, I'd think that you should cost up both options, and give them too the customer along the pros and cons of each and let them decide.

    In general though, if it's just a few small additions and they'll be happy with that for some time, then I'd say it's fine to leav with classic ASP. If it's more wide-ranging changes, or they're likely to continually want more changes that leans more towards a rewrite.


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    #3
    web designer meath
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28 ✭web designer meath


    This is what I would do.

    First of all - technology is moving at a very fast rate. Depending on the site, the size and what it handles, it often so happens that you should start over again. Unlike 10 years ago, 90 percent of all sites are content management based and then customized from there on. There are numerous systems out there and, depending on what you need, I'm sure you can find what you need. If you have any further details to the project, let me know and I can give some more of a definite answer.


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    #4
    wavehopper1
    Registered Users Posts: 355 ✭✭wavehopper1


    I've had the same situation, with a large website developed in classic ASP that just "worked" (and worked well).

    The approach we agreed with the client was this:
    (1) where the new features involved changes to existing pages, we implemented in classic ASP so no rewriting of their existing code base.
    (2) where the new feature involved new pages, we implemented in .NET plus "better" coding habiets e.g. switched from their extensive use of inline SQL to a database layer calling stored procedures etc.

    This was a half-way house for the client - they intend long term to move off classic ASP so it gave them a large step in the right direction.

    There has been very little maintenance overhead from mixing classic and .NET from a windows admin standpoint.

    This client gets in external programmers a lot, so for ease of developers I wouldn't want to mix dissimilar technologies (e.g. ASP and PHP), but in general the younger .NET developers can do tweaks and fixes on the classic ASP without much headaches.


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