How to replace a web.config setting with the current date while using webdeploy?

Question

I'm using a web.config transform to replace settings with the settings of the selected solution configuration. However, I would like to add a setting that stores the datetime of the publish process. The reason for this is to be able to show a "Last published on" for my customers.

Using config transforms, is there a way to replace a setting with the current date?

user_7492510 · Answer

I was able to do this in Visual Studio 2022 with a .NET 6 web application by using PowerShell scripts to add an with a Publish Timestamp to my web.config before publishing, then removing it after publishing. That way I don't get my local web.config altered in source control every time I publish.

I publish to a local folder, then deploy to a shared Production server with Beyond Compare. Having the deployed web.config include the timestamp will automatically restart my production IIS worker process, unlocking my main DLL, which fails to copy unless I touch my web.config.

Create a Powershell script called beforePublish.ps1 with this code:

$webConfig = "web.config"
$webConfigXml = (gc $webConfig) -as [Xml]

$publishTime = $webConfigXml.CreateElement("environmentVariable")
$publishTime.SetAttribute("name", "PublishTime")
$publishTime.SetAttribute("value", (Get-Date))
$webConfigXml.configuration.location.'system.webServer'.aspNetCore.environmentVariables.AppendChild($publishTime)

$webConfigXml.Save($webConfig)

This assumes you have an existing environmentVariable like this in the tag:

Create a PowerShell script called afterPublish.ps1 with this code:

$webConfig = "web.config"
$webConfigXml = (gc $webConfig) -as [Xml]

$nodes = $webConfigXml.SelectNodes("//environmentVariable[@name='PublishTime']")
foreach($node in $nodes) { $node.ParentNode.RemoveChild($node) }

$aspNetCore = $webConfigXml.SelectSingleNode("//aspNetCore")
$aspNetCore.SetAttribute("processPath", $aspNetCore.GetAttribute("processPath").replace("Release", "Debug"))

$webConfigXml.Save($webConfig)

As you can see I additionally reverted my back to Debug mode to keep my localhost unchanged by the publish to Release mode.

Add this XML to the \Properties\PublishProfiles\FolderProfile.pubxml file inside the tag:
```
    


    
```

How to replace a web.config setting with the current date while using webdeploy?

3 Answers