How to Edit ASPX, CSHTML, and Other Files Live on an FTP Server

Sometimes we just want to make a small change to a live site without downloading the entire project. In this post, I will share some good ways to do that.

Users who have Expression Web 4 can do this. I tried it and it works well with ASPX files. If your site uses ASP.NET with the ASPX view engine, this is a good option. Expression Web is now free (it was previously a paid product).

Another good option is Komodo Edit. You can use Komodo Edit with a few plugins to enable FTP-based file editing.

The problem with both of these apps is that they lack syntax highlighting and support for CSHTML files, which were introduced with MVC 3. For CSHTML files, I suggest using WebMatrix, which supports editing CSHTML files directly over FTP.

Keep in mind that WebMatrix does not support compiling MVC projects. You will need at least Visual Web Developer Express to compile your project.

If you are in a hurry, try Cloud9 (c9.io). Enter your FTP settings and you can immediately start making changes to your live site.

If you have any other suggestions, please share them in the comments.