IT:AD:IIS Express:HowTo:Handle Branching

The problem is what's saved in the

%UserProfile%\Documents\IISExpress\config\applicationhost.config

When you got the first website working, it created a section as follows:

<configuration>
  ...
  <sites>
  ...
    <site name="App.AppHost.Web-Site" id="3">
      <application path="/" applicationPool="Clr4IntegratedAppPool">
        <virtualDirectory path="/" physicalPath="D:\CODE\App15\App.Core.Back.AppHost.Web" />
      </application>
      <application path="/NSI_App" applicationPool="Clr4IntegratedAppPool">
        <virtualDirectory path="/" physicalPath="D:\CODE\App15\App.Core.Back.AppHost.Web" />
      </application>
      <bindings>
        <binding protocol="http" bindingInformation="*:17001:localhost" />
      </bindings>
    </site>
  </sites>
</configuration>

All good.

Then you switch to the new branch, and it doesn't work (because you're now in D:\CODE\App16\ and when you start VS it starts IIS Express, which is pointing an app with the same name still towards D:\CODE\App15...)

So you fix it by * In VS, selecting the option to “Create a Virtual Directory” * or opening the applicationhost.config file, * or doing things very properly using appcmd.exe from within the %UserProfile%\Documents\IISExpress\config directory.

Now your applicationhost.config file looks like:

<configuration>
  ...
  <sites>
  ...
    <site name="App.AppHost.Web-Site" id="3">
      <application path="/" applicationPool="Clr4IntegratedAppPool">
        <virtualDirectory path="/" physicalPath="D:\CODE\App16\App.Core.Back.AppHost.Web" />
      </application>
      <application path="/NSI_App" applicationPool="Clr4IntegratedAppPool">
        <virtualDirectory path="/" physicalPath="D:\CODE\App16\App.Core.Back.AppHost.Web" />
      </application>
      <bindings>
        <binding protocol="http" bindingInformation="*:17001:localhost" />
      </bindings>
    </site>
  </sites>
</configuration>

You're good to go, until you open up branch 1…or both branch 1 and 2 at the same time.

The ugly truth is that there is no easy way. You just have to be aware of it, and edit the config file as you switch branches.

• Useful:
  • http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/396569/Make-Web-Development-Easier-with-IIS-Express