web.config file transform from command line

msbuild

Solution

If you add the following xml to the bottom of the .csproj file for your web application, you'll ensure that the config transformation occurs before every build:

<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0\WebApplications\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" />
<Target Name="BeforeBuild">
    <TransformXml Source="Web.Base.config" Transform="Web.$(Configuration).config" Destination="Web.config" />
</Target>

Edit: In response to your comment, you should be able to use Web.config as the source parameter in the TransformXml task (see step #2). If you only want to perform the config transform in the build script, follow these instructions:

1) Import WebApplication.targets in your build script like so:

<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0\WebApplications\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" />

2) Execute the TransformXml build task in your build script target:

<Target Name="MyBuildScriptTarget">
    <TransformXml Source="Web.config" Transform="Web.$(Configuration).config" Destination="Web.config" />
    ...other build tasks...
</Target>

Problem

I have two build environments to target; Release and Staging. The Web.config looks like this: ``` <system.web> <authentication mode="Windows"> </authentication> <authorization> <deny users="?" /> </authorization> </system.web> ``` I want to transform it by building to staging config: Web.Staging.config ``` <system.web> <authentication mode="Windows"> </authentication> <authorization xdt:Transform="Replace"> <deny users="?" /> <allow roles="StagingRoles" /> <deny users="*" /> </authorization> </system.web> ``` I build from command line like this: ``` msbuild buildscript.build /p:Configuration=Staging ``` After the build, I don't see the web.config file transformed in the build artifacts folder. Is there something wrong here? Thanks

Original source