Deploying a Visual Studio website vs web application

Question

So I'm using visual studio 2010 to build a website that was formerly running on PHP, so I'm pretty new to the environment.

In starting the project I built a website project, not a web application project. I know that will probably generate a lot of "never use a website project, use a web application project instead" comments, but bear with me.

I'm attempting to provide our server team with the necessary files to compile on our server for the first time. However they're used to working with web application files, not website files.

Normally they are given the source code and a batch file that compiles the code into deployment directories and then they just move the files to the server from there. I'm pretty sure that the other teams use deployment packages to do this, which obviously isn't an option for a website.

My question is, what would be the equivalent steps for getting the source for a website ready to deploy vs a web application? I have published the website to a separate folder and this has rendered what I think is the equivalent in many ways, but I wanted to make sure.

Also, is it possible to publish certain parts of a website without others?

Please with-hold all the comments about how I should be using a web application instead, google seems to assume that's all that's used out there too.

Thanks!

There are several options outlined at the ASP.NET Web Site Project Deployment Overview page, are any of those of use? — stuartd
– stuartd, Commented May 2, 2013 at 12:21
If you use publish there is nothing for the team to do. Everything is compiled. — TheKingDave
– TheKingDave, Commented May 2, 2013 at 12:22

Britton · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-02 12:23:49Z

3

There isn't much to deploying a web site other than copying the source files to a directory in IIS. It will compile the site automatically on the first page request.

answered May 2, 2013 at 12:23

Britton

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2 Comments

Blunderfest Over a year ago

So I guess if I wanted to deploy only part of the website it's just a matter of having a copy that I might call production and only moving over the files that I want to publish, then publishing the entire thing from there?

Britton Over a year ago

Yep. If you don't want to publish certain pages, just don't copy them over.

Joe Raio · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-02 12:41:07Z

1

I agree with Britton. I personally prefer web application but with the web site project you have 2 options.

Either a) Upload all the files (including the .vb or .cs files) and the web server will compile on the fly. OR, you can publish to a separate folder locally on your machine, and then upload that folder. I would do the publish if you don't want anyone seeing your source code.

answered May 2, 2013 at 12:41

Joe Raio

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