CODEWITHSUNDEEP
asp.netvisual-studio-2010
MarkO
MarkO

Reputation: 199

ASP.NET Web application main dll not being copied to Bin on build

I have an ASP.NET (4) Web App solution with 3 projects. Project A references B & C (along witha bunch of other 3rd party DLLS like Crystal Reports etc).

I have 3 build configs, Debug, Test & Release.

If I do a build in any of the configs, the built DLLS (and PDB if it is Debug) are placed as they should in their respective folders.

So Test gets built into {root}\bin\x86\Test

Release into {root}\bin\x86\Release

Debug into {root}\bin\x86\Debug

Also, all the dlls that are referenced have their 'Copy Local' property set to true and so they are copied into the {root}\bin folder so I can run and test locally in VS.

BUT

The main app DLL (ProjectA.dll) is not being copied into the {Root}\bin folder when it is being built/rebuilt, just being left in the folder for the chosen build config as described above. So when I run the app in VS I get an error 'Could not load type 'ProjectA.Global_asax'. Not surprising given the main project DLL is not in the Bin folder where the web server is looking for it.

The only way I can get it to run is to manually copy the ProjectA.dll into the {Root}\bin folder myself which seems a nonsense and obviously fraught with the risk of me forgetting to copy the latest on over after each build.

Surely there must be a way of telling VS to copy the main app dll (ProjectA.dll) as well as all the referenced dlls, into the main {Root}\bin folder?

Obviously, as ProjectA.dll is the main app assembly it is not in the list of references so I cant just set the 'Copy Local' prperty for it. Unless it is hidden away somewhere else? I have trawled every form and dialog in VS (and hours on Google!) and just cant see how to tell VS 'Please copy the main app assembly back into th bin folder when you have finished building'.

Can someone pls help ths is driving me nuts!

Many thanks

Mark

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1264

Answers (1)

Destroid
Destroid

Reputation: 112

If you just want avoid the manual work of moving the dll after every build, then you can create a Visual Studio post-build event to copy the dll. Some examples here and here.

Upvotes: 0

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