IIS virtual directory, root path deployment ASP.NET

Question

I need a few pointers about how to make a project structure in order to migrate from VSS to SVN, as it stands now it has:

Dev trunk-------------------------------->http://localhost/myapp

Test environment branch ---------->http://test.myapp.com

Production environment branch-->http://www.myapp.com

The deal here are the paths, as you see the root of each environment changes because it's using IIS 6 local site(trunk), and more, we're using absolute paths, this is a inconsistent merge between branches because of the paths, even when i've done a lot of changes and using the ~/ in the server controls while getting <% Virtualpath("~/") & /js/test.js %> or runat="server" enableviewstate="false" in some client controls, but in general this method is a some how not transparent to the environments and prone to errors, and breaking some javascript paths(still not resolved).

I know about the Web Development server included in VS but I have also noticed that we can have problems with in-use features, like autentication, context security, virtual folders.

All this using local IIS 6, VS2005, could you share some of your experience in how to deal with this problem?

Answer 1

You should probably only be maintaining your DEV branch in source control, using project deployment to move the web site to test, then code promoting it into production.

That way you're sure that:

1. Code is in source control
2. Code has been tested
3. No direct changed to production can occur.

Good use of source control branching/labeling (in VSS or SVN or whatever) can allow your developer to look at, debug and modify test or prod code, but the code should follow a strucutred path through your testing lane and only be promoted to production using a defined code-promotion process.