Is it possible to view the change of a page inside Web Application Project without building the whole web application project and its dependent library projects?
Thanks.
I don't think you need to build any referenced projects (unless you have made changes in them), but you will need to build the web project
That's the big advantage of the web site model, which supports partial compilation:
Well described here:
http://www.west-wind.com/presentations/aspnetcompilation/aspnetcompilation.asp
You can view the change of a page without re-building the whole project only if you change a front end of a page. After changing front end, save it, and then refresh browser. If back end changes, you will need to re-build the whole application.
Related
I am taking over a legacy ASP.NET Web Forms application written a long time ago. The application does not come with a .csproj file or a VS .sln file. All DLL libraries are simply added to the bin folder and referenced directly in code. All CS classes are added to the app_code folder and referenced in code.
We are trying to integrate this site to make use of CI / CD pipelines but it has been very challenging. Part of it is because we cant make use of MSBuild because we don't have a project file or a solution file.
I was wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before. What would be the best way to create a project and / or solution file for this? Do we need to have both a project file and a solution file? Any guides out there you can point to on how to do this?
I hope my question is clear. Thanks in advance!
The application does not come with a .csproj file or a VS .sln file
That is normal for a asp.net web site. No sln, or project files are required.
Of course that means you do NOT open the site by using open project, but open the site by using open web site. As such, no csproj or even a project (sln) file is required, or should even exist.
All DLL libraries are simply added to the bin folder and referenced directly in code
Again, that's quite normal for web site.
For a web site "application", then references to external libraies and .dll's (assmeblies) is much like desktop. You add these refrences. then at deploy time, visual stuido will build, compile, and move all the .dll's into the bin folder for you. And you even have options to "merge" such .dll's into one .dll at publish time.
At this point in time, if you can open the site site, view a web page, and then say right click, and view code, then you are in great shape.
However, it is ALSO possible that your web site folder is the RESULT of a asp.net web site "application". If that is the case, then the web site will NOT have the code behind, since Visual studio did the compile. When you use a asp.net web site (not a asp.net web site application), then both the markup pages, and the code behind pages should exist. This ALSO means that the web site (IIS) does the compile of code, and NOT visual studio.
so, the only detail you need to determine?
Does the web site have BOTH the markup pages, and ALSO has the source code (code behind) pages? If you do not have the code behind pages, then you don't have a web site, but have the "results" of a web site application publish. This means you don't have the code behind (source code).
But, opening a web site from visual studio does not need nor require a project file, nor does it require sln file.
so, I guess the base question (that will quite much answer all of the above points and questions?
do you see + have the code behind pages on that site? Since if you do not, then you have to go find and get the original project used to publish that web site application, and without as such, you not only missing the source code, but all of the references etc. that are saved in the project file(s).
What would be the best way to create a project and / or solution file for this?
Gee, if this is a web site and not "application", then you may well not want to do this (at least not yet). There are quite a few advantages of keeping and using a web site as opposed to a web site application, and one issue will be setup of all the references.
Also, web servers tend to be far more tolerent of accepting a web site, then a web site application. (for example, it boatloads easier to copy or ftp a web site to a sub site in a folder on the web server.
If the main startup page is the main page of the web site, then it without question a lot easier to say convert, and open the folder as a project, and thus the sln file will be created. However, quite a few assumptions will have been made based on "application" vs non application, and if that's how the system was setup, then little advantages exist to now try and convert to a web application.
The other huge advantage? with a web site, you can modify one line of code, save, and you are done.
With a web site application, you change just one line of code, and you now have to re-publish the WHOLE site. So, while I without question prefer the application road? You noted in your post that you want to keep agile development, and if that is your goal, then hands down keeping this as a web site is a far better choice. You can change one line of code, save, and if that page + code is moved to the server, you are done.
so, a application is far more formalized, but quite much kills the agile development goal you noted in your post.
In old sweet Web Forms times, when we make change on code behind, once we hit the application, it was compiling on the fly and running new changed code.
For Web Apps and MVC, when I add a new controller or change something on business logic, I have to always build app on VS 2015 manually and go back to browser and test again. But many times I keep forgetting building till I see yellow error screen.
Is there any way to kick build if there is code change and if I hit the website first time like Web Forms? I would not prefer to build on save since I am a ctrl + S freak, and keep pressing that combo on every other second.
To my knowledge Dynamic Compilation is not available in an MVC application because it won't be a "Web Site" project, it will be a "Web Application" project. Only Web Site projects can do dynamic compilation, since with MVC you're routing to actions in the controller my guess is it has to be compiled in advance - unlike ASP.NET where you're routing to a physical file.
I need some advice regarding the handling of a Silverlight control that I need to integrate into an existing Website, coded with Asp.Net.
I'm using SVN, Visual Studio 2010, Framework 4.0. I need to create a simple silverlight control and I need to have it embedded in one of my asp.net pages.
My question is basically, what is the best practice on where to put this Silverlight control?
1) Creating a new project for my Silverlight control and then refer to it through an external tools within my website? (importing only the .xap?)
+ Reuse
- Seems lot of extra work for a small control
2) Create a new project withing my website solution, compile it next to my website and create a post build event to copy the .xap generated into a ClientBin folders in my website?
- Lack of reusability
+ Easy to make small modifications in my Silverlight component.
3) Another solution I don't know yet??
Thanks for your advices
Do not worry about number of projects. Reuse is far more important (we have solutions with over 100 projects).
Create a new Silverlight application, then add a Silverlight relationship between the website and your new Silverlight application:
Right-click on your website project and select Properties.
Choose the Silverlight Applications tab on the left side
Press Add...
Leave Use an existing Silverlight project in the solution checked and select the project you want to add from the Project dropdown.
Leave Add a test page that references the control checked if you want a separate test page for your application.
Press Add and you are done.
The website will now build your Silverlight application and include the output Xap file in its ClientBin folder.
If you check "add a test page", that will give you sample HTML/ASPX pages and the JavaScript you need to run the Silverlight component anywhere in your ASP.Net app.
I have an existing solution in VS2010. When I click the properties of my project I get the view as can be seen in image1.png:
When I create a new empty ASP.NET web application and click the properties of my project I get the view as can be seen in image2.png:
A huge difference.
Now I'm implementing this code here: http://wcf.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Getting%20started:%20Building%20a%20simple%20web%20api
And that tutorial assumes I get a view as I've shown you in image2.png
In image1 and image2 I've also marked the menu items: "Website" and "Project"
This makes me assume that I've created a website application whereas I need something different (I'm thinking a web application project).
Not sure what to do now, I need to convert my current application to another thing, but to which type and how to do it?
I also came accoss this post: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/webdevtools/archive/2009/10/29/converting-a-web-site-project-to-a-web-application-project.aspx
But before I start screwing up everything :P Is that what would solve my problem?
It should be possible to use either a web site or a web application project. In the example on the link you've posted, they use the predefined template for ASP.Net MVC Web Applications. This has several advantages - it sets up the structure and other resources for you - it's effectively a template.
For the purposes of the tutorial, why don't you just set up an application that way? If you've already written some code, you can just import it into the new application.
For future projects, you might want to consider which is best for your needs. Apart from structure, there are some other key differences between a web application and a web site project.
MSDN handily provides the differences here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd547590.aspx
If you find you want the features of the web application, then the link you've posted is fine. You'll need to do some re-organizing of your references and so on and so forth, but the process is fairly straightforward (but not painless).
A "web site" in visual studio is the old, .net 1 style of creating web sites. It basically dynamically compiles the code in a folder when it's hit for the first time. Later .NET introduced a "web application" model where the code is compiled into a DLL and no code files are deployed with the site. "Web sites" are pretty much depcrated and shouldn't be used for any new projects unless you're doing a quick demo site.
The codeplex project you referenced also depends on MVC 3 (which are web applications).
You are probably better off just restarting like the tutorial says - create a new MVC application like it shows in its first screenshot.
If you do not have that option, use Web Platform Installer to add MVC for you - http://www.microsoft.com/web/downloads/platform.aspx
Good luck!
I can't tell exactly what's going on from your screenshots, but if you have a web site that you need to convert to a web application project, you can find the directions here
Although the instructions are specific to VS2005, they are basically the same for 2010 as well.
Is there any difference between website and web application project? What if you are working on a project that is sort of hybrid of site and application? which project should you chose?
I'ld go the newer Web Application project (always, regardless of the size of the project).
There is nothing to lose and everything to gain with using the Web Application Project (you cannot say this about using the "website" only).
The official list of differences are here:
Use Web Application Projects when you
Need to migrate large Visual Studio.NET 2003 applications
Need to
control names of output assemblies
Need stand-alone classes to
reference page and user control
classes
Need to build a Web
application using multiple Web
projects
Need to add pre-build and
post-build steps during compilation
Use Websites if you:
Need to generate one assembly for each page.
Prefer single-page code model to code-behind model.
Prefer dynamic compilation and working on pages without building entire site on each page view (that is, save file and then simply refresh the page in the browser).
Want to open and edit any directory as a Web project without creating a project file
#Mehrdad's link here is essential if you want to know more http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730880(VS.80).aspx#wapp_topic5
As for which project to choose, I would go with the Web Application Project, regardless of size. Having all of your code behind compile down into a single DLL is a major benefit for maintenance and security on the hosting end. I know there are precompile options for web site projects, but they seemed like more trouble that it was worth for me.
I know that the IIS filters are in place to prevent users from accessing your .vb or .cs files, but it still makes me a little leery.
But more important to this is the nice fact that if you make a bunch of coding changes, or maybe add some classes and change the processing logic, the only thing you have to merge up is the compiled DLL and nothing else. Similarly, if you do a few UI changes (say change the stylesheet or position of a few controls), you don't have to worry about recompiling the application, you simply bring over the update .aspx page and you're done.
Take a look:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730880(VS.80).aspx#wapp_topic5
http://forums.asp.net/p/1300026/2538628.aspx
I'm used to create websites when I want to create a new webapplication.
My current project had some problems on compiling, so I switched to a webapplication project. The step isn't very hard. Visual Studio helps you to change all necessary lines.
Refer to the links in the post:
http://www.codersbarn.com/post/2008/06/01/ASPNET-Web-Site-versus-Web-Application-Project.aspx
Anthony :-)