Automating aspnet_compiler in Visual Web Developer
Visual Studio has a cool user interface for publishing a website using the Publish Web Site dialog, accessible by selecting Build, Publish Web Site. You can use this dialog to pre-compile your website and avoid having to deploy source code.
Visual Web Developer Express doesn't offer this dialog, but because the Publish Web Site dialog is just a front-end for aspnet_compiler.exe, you can use aspnet_compiler.exe from a command prompt to accomplish the same thing if you are a VWD user. While using aspnet_compiler.exe from a command prompt gives you the same functionality, using a menu option is a lot more user-friendly and avoids possibly typos that can be frustrating.
In this post, I'm going to show you how you can add some menu options to VWD that will automate the user of aspnet_compiler. It won't give you the same flexibility and convenience you get with the full-blown Visual Studio, but it will come darn close.
Note: While I will show these steps in Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition, you can use the same steps for Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.
To add the new menu item, I'll use the External Tools option on the Tools menu in VWD. (This menu option is also available in Visual Studio.) Using the External Tools dialog, you can add menu items that will execute external applications, and you can also control command line arguments that are passed to your external application and more.
Note: I also explain how to do this in my book, The Expression Web Developer's Guide to ASP.NET 3.5.
We'll create two menu items; one for pre-compiling an updatable application and another for a non-updatable application.
- Launch Visual Web Developer Express.
- Select Tools, External Tools to display the External Tools dialog.
- In the Title box, enter Pre-&Compile (non-updatable).
- Click the browse button next to the Command box and browse to aspnet_compiler.exe located in c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727.
- Click Open to add the command line for aspnet_compiler.exe.
Now that you've got the correct command line for the aspnet_compiler.exe, it's time to add the arguments that will correctly pre-compile your application. This is where you'll see the true power of the External Tools dialog.
- Type -p " in the Arguments box. (That's an opening double-quote after the p.)
- Click the right-facing arrow next to the Arguments box and select Project Directory.
- Add a trailing double-quote to the Arguments box.
- Press the spacebar to add a space at the end of the existing arguments.
- Type -v / " after the space you just entered.
- Click the right-facing arrow next to the Arguments box and select Project Directory.
- Type \..\CompiledApp" after the existing arguments.
At this point, the Arguments box should contain the following:
-p "$(ProjectDir)" -v / "$(ProjectDir)\..\CompiledApp"
Now check the Close on Exit checkbox and click OK to add the new command to your Tools menu.
You can create another menu item that will compile the application and allow it to be updated by creating another entry using Pre-Co&mpile (updatable) as the Title and by appending -u to the arguments.
After you complete these steps, your pre-compiled application will be saved at the same level as your application's folder. For example, if your website exists in the c:\MyWebsites\WebApplication1, the pre-compiled application will be saved to c:\MyWebsites\CompiledApp. If that folder structure doesn't suit you, you can alter the steps above for your own purposes.
