Question

I believe you can pre compile a asp.net mvc application but there are some issues with aspx files.
Is it correct to say the view folder needs to be copied to the deployed location?
If so does anyone know why?
Thanks

Answer 1

The short answer is that ASPX (and ASCX) files don’t get compiled and must be copied with your application when you deploy to IIS.

You can precompile an ASP.NET MVC application, but the ASPX/ASCX files don’t get included in the mix. In our experience, we weren’t able to use aspnet_compiler.exe to bundle everything into a binary, so we use csc (via nant) to compile all of the stuff that can be compiled, and then copy the rest. This includes the View folder.

If it helps, the relevant portion of one of our nant scripts is as follows:

(Assuming all dependencies have already been copied to the site folder’s (BuildDir in this case) bin folder)

<csc target="library" output="${BuildDir}/bin/${FinalDeployDllName}.dll" >
  <references failonempty="true">
    <include name="${BuildDir}/bin/SomeDependency.dll" />
  </references>
  <sources>
    <include name="${BuildDir}/**/*.cs" />
  </sources>
</csc>

<copy todir="${target}" overwrite="true">
  <fileset basedir="${BuildDir}">
    <include name="**/*.???x" />
    <include name="**/*.js" />
    <include name="**/*.jpg" />
    <include name="**/*.jpeg" />        
    <include name="**/*.gif" />
    <include name="**/*.png" />
    <include name="**/*.html" />
    <include name="**/*.css" />
    <include name="**/*.swf" />
    <include name="**/*.Master" />
    <include name="**/Web.config" />
    <include name="images/**/*" />
    <include name="bin/**/*" />
    <include name="Content/**/*" />
  </fileset>
</copy>

<delete>
  <fileset>
    <include name="${target}/*.build" />
    <include name="${target}/*.scc" />
    <include name="${target}/*.sln" />
    <include name="${target}/*.suo" />
    <include name="${target}/build.*" />
    <include name="${target}/*.resharper" />
    <include name="${target}/*.resharper.user" />
    <include name="${target}/bin/*.xml" />
    <include name="${target}/bin/*.pdb" />
  </fileset>
</delete>

This’ll create a folder at {target} with all the required files for deployment, to be packaged from there as you see fit.