How to precompile ASP.NET 4.0 to a Single DLL with VS 2010

Question

I recently upgraded from VS 2003 where I was working on a ASP.NET 2.0 website to VS 2010 where I have migrated to ASP.NET 4.0. So far it has been a big headache to get my site compiling with the new version. One problem was that my aspx.cs pages could not find the shared code libraries in my project. I solved this by moving my shared code to the App_Code folder (if there's a different/better way to do it please let me know).

Another issue that I am finding confusing is with pre-compilation. With VS 2003 I could click the build project button and it would precompile my site into a myweb.dll and myweb.pdb files. Now I'm having trouble doing the same in VS 2010. When I build the site in VS 2010 the dll is not created. I did manage to find an option to "Publish" the site which takes forever (like 2 minutes) and involves duplicating the site to another folder. This would have been acceptable but instead of making the single DLL file, it makes a bunch of files: App_code.compiled, app_code.dll, App_code.pdb, App_global.asax.compiled, App_global.asax.dll, App_global.asax.pdb, App_Web_lrpcway1.dll, App_Web_lrpcway1.compiled, App_Web_lrpcway1.pdb.

The application works - I can deploy it with all these files. However, I'd really like someone to explain what are the extra files and if there is a better way how to do it.

Thanks

Answer 1

This is the difference between a website and a web application. You can convert your website to a web application to have it behave more like you are used to.

The files in appCode are compiled when required to run and thus does not provide dll.s in the bin/debug folder, but they should be created when the application actually runs (but it is not put in the same location).

Here is a nice write up about it Link

Answer 2

You can use the ASP.NET Merge Tool to combine all of the little DLLs into one big one.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb397866.aspx