Using web.config from base folder and not bin folder

Question

I have an asp.net mvc web page. I'm using config transforms with it. The config transform in the bin directory is correct. However, when I debug with IIS express, all the app settings being used are actually from the original web.config, not the transformed web.config in the bin folder. If I rename the web.config to something else in the root folder, debugging will halt as soon as it tries to read a connection string because it says it's not initialized. What is the problem?

Answer 1

Transformations only apply when you publish the project. However their is a hack to it

You can try using the below code. Your original configuration should be in Web.Base.Config

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

You can also refer to below URL as sometime it makes transformation twice and you need to add steps for beforebuild

https://sebnilsson.com/blog/asp-net-transform-web-config-with-debug-release-on-build/