Can someone point me to a really easy to understand guide to web.config?

Question

I'm really interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of the format and structure of the web.config file for ASP.NET web development. I'd like to know if there's some really easy to comprehend material (apart from the MSDN docs) which can provide me a ground-up understanding of the web.config file and its different sections.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

This is a really good article:

• The Web.Config Demystified

It takes the magic out of the Web.Config... which after all is just an XML file.

• Best Practices on using App Settings and Connection Strings

• Another link about putting AppSettings in a separate File. I do this ALL THE TIME. I'll have several files where my test environment are different and have something like:

Conn.test.Config

Conn.test.Config

App.test.Config

App.live.Config

• Here's MSDN docs which outline the additions for .Net 3.5.

• AND... one GREAT way of finding out what people have found to be useful is the items tagged Web.Config in delicious

I also love showing people that the fancy "website configuration" under the ASP.Net Tab in IIS is just parsing an XML file and there's nothing fancy about it.