LinuxLinks, like most modern websites, is dynamic in that content is stored in a database and converted into presentation-ready HTML when readers access the site.
While we employ built-in server caching which creates static versions of the site, we don’t generate a full, static HTML website based on raw data and a set of templates. However, sometimes a full, static HTML website is desirable. Because HTML pages are all prebuilt, they load extremely quickly in web browsers.
There are lots of other advantages of running a full, static HTML website.
Here’s some of the main ones:
- Less software is needed to produce a static site. A small software stack can improve security. Static sites do not contain dynamic content, and are therefore immune to most common attacks.;
- Obsolescence. Running a dynamic site relies on a content management system that constantly needs to be updated. The foundations of a dynamic site changes over time;
- Cost – every time a visitor accesses a page, a set of database queries are made with dynamic sites. While caching reduces these queries, there’s always pages that aren’t in the cache or need to be refreshed. With a static site, the load on the server is considerably reduced;
- Previewable – as static sites are developed locally, you can play around with the site to your heart’s content without affecting the live site.
- A static site means that data is easier to export than if it’s contained within a database.
- Versionable – ideal to be used with version control system, such as Git.
A static site works very well in certain use cases. For example, it’s great for documentation. And static sites can be just as engaging as dynamic sites. The only real difference is that all the HTML is generated before being uploaded.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 6 best .NET static site generators. All of these tools are released under a freely distributable license. Here’s our verdict.
Let’s explore the 6 static site generators at hand. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources.
| .NET Static Site Generators | |
|---|---|
| Statiq | Powerful static web site generation toolkit suitable for most use cases |
| Wyam | Wyam has been rebranded and rebooted as Statiq. |
| graze | Static site generator using Razor |
| IronBeard | Simple and easy to use cross-platform static site generator built with .NET Core. |
| Pretzel | Site generation tool (and then some) for .NET platforms |
| Baker | Combine Markdown and Razor view engine, layouts, sections and helpers |
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |