How to debug a MVC5 Library deployed via IIS

Question

i have a MVC5 project using .NET Framework 4.7.2 it is build as a library - so no exe file. and it is deployed via IIS.

so usually this stuff just works - though i don't know how. but now i want to migrate to a new csproj pattern, which modern applications use. all to get rid of the manual import of every single project file, i think you know how it goes.

the problem is whenever i try to debug it as IIS it just fails, because it can't run a DLL file. it's just not configured...

the build is OK, everything else was migrated just fine. i'm not even switching the target framework, all i want is a cleaner csproj format. so please help me because i tried now for hours and google is not really helpful

as requested: the new csproj:



    


    
    net472
        {881DFF8A-F36B-4948-A62E-9E3A9BD6D9C9}
        {349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21};{fae04ec0-301f-11d3-bf4b-00c04f79efbc}
        True
        2.0
        false
        443
        disabled
        enabled
        
        
        SAK
        SAK
        SAK
        SAK
      Library
      bin\
      false
      false
      true
  


  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  


  
    {PROJECT REFERENCES CENSORED}
  


  
    
    
    
    
  

    
        10.0
        $(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)
    

    

    
        
            
                
                    True
                    True
                    51599
                    /
                    http://localhost/Server
                    False
                    False
                    
                    
                    False

the old csproj:



  
  
    Debug
    AnyCPU
    
    
    2.0
    {881DFF8A-F36B-4948-A62E-9E3A9BD6D9C9}
    {349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21};{fae04ec0-301f-11d3-bf4b-00c04f79efbc}
    Library
    Properties
    v4.7.2
    True
    false
    443
    disabled
    enabled
    
    
    SAK
    SAK
    SAK
    SAK
    
    
    
    
  
  
    true
    full
    false
    bin\
    DEBUG;TRACE
    prompt
    4
    AnyCPU
  
  
    pdbonly
    false
    bin\
    TRACE
    prompt
    4
    AnyCPU
  
  
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Newtonsoft.Json.12.0.3\lib
et45\Newtonsoft.Json.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\NLog.4.1.0\lib
et45\NLog.dll
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Serilog.2.9.0\lib
et46\Serilog.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Serilog.Sinks.File.4.1.0\lib
et45\Serilog.Sinks.File.dll
    
    
    
    
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.IO.4.3.0\lib
et462\System.IO.dll
      True
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Net.Http.4.3.4\lib
et46\System.Net.Http.dll
      True
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Client.5.2.7\lib
et45\System.Net.Http.Formatting.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Runtime.4.3.0\lib
et462\System.Runtime.dll
      True
      True
    
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Security.Cryptography.Algorithms.4.3.0\lib
et463\System.Security.Cryptography.Algorithms.dll
      True
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Security.Cryptography.Encoding.4.3.0\lib
et46\System.Security.Cryptography.Encoding.dll
      True
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Security.Cryptography.Primitives.4.3.0\lib
et46\System.Security.Cryptography.Primitives.dll
      True
      True
    
    
      ..\..\packages\System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.4.3.0\lib
et461\System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.dll
      True
      True
    
    
    
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Microsoft.AspNet.Cors.5.2.7\lib
et45\System.Web.Cors.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Core.5.2.7\lib
et45\System.Web.Http.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.Cors.5.2.7\lib
et45\System.Web.Http.Cors.dll
    
    
      ..\..\packages\Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi.WebHost.5.2.7\lib
et45\System.Web.Http.WebHost.dll
    
    
    
  
 { TONS OF CONTENT INCLUDE PER FILE IN SOLUTION }
  
  { PROJECT REFERENCES CENSORED }
  
  
    10.0
    $(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)
  
  
  
  
  
    
      
        
          True
          True
          51599
          /
          http://localhost/Server
          False
          False
          
          
          False
        
      
    
  
  
  
    
      This project references NuGet package(s) that are missing on this computer. Use NuGet Package Restore to download them.  For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=322105. The missing file is {0}.

i tried to put everything from old to new... i also tried using different project sdks like the normal .NET Sdk and the Sdk.Web

user_448129 · Answer

Have you tried to manually attach the debugger to the IIS process? We work in a similar fashion (library that is hosted in IIS, using new CSProj style for all the projects), but I never use the "play" button to debug. The app gets built, we set the "Physical Path" value in the "Basic settings" of the site in IIS to the folder for the project, hit the site, and then within Visual Studio under the Debug menu select "Attach to Process...":

Then select "w3wp.exe" (You might have to check "Show processes from all users" first and click "Attach". Then, your breakpoints should be hit. Note that you will need to be running Visual Studio as administrator in order to attached to the w3wp process though.

user_3667792 · Answer

So, first of all you need to create AppPool and WebSite in IIS. Set WebSite folder to your web project (folder where web.config is placed, NOT bin folder).

Then you can debug with 2 options:

Press "Play" button than Visual Studio opens browser and you can debug Frontend+Backend.
Just build your project and press in menu Debug->Attach to process->Choose "w3wp.exe". with this option you can debug just Backend part.

How to debug a MVC5 Library deployed via IIS

2 Answers