What does ServerVariables["APPL_MD_PATH"] retreives the metabase path for the Application for the ISAPI DLL mean?

Question

Hello,

I've trying to get an ASP.net (v2) app to work in the debugger and keep running into a problem because the value returned by HttpContext.Current.Request.ServerVariables["APPL_MD_PATH"].ToLower() is an empty string.

I have found out that this "Retrieves the metabase path for the Application for the ISAPI DLL". Can anybody shed some light on what this means and why it might be empty?

This code works in our live environment but I want it to work on my PC and be able to step through source code so I can look at another problem...

Cheers

Nigel

Answer 1

Are you running your application locally inside of IIS or inside of the development web server? If it's the latter, then that's probably why: Cassini (the development web server) doesn't do ISAPI, so this value will be empty.

Answer 2

Yes I am running in the Dev web server.

Thanks for that!!

Answer 3

For ages I've been sure that you had to run through the Dev Web server to be able to step into source code, But just now I've changed to use iis, hit F5 and it's fired up and stopped on my break points just like that. Clearly I've been doing something wrong all this time.

Eureka!!!!!