Problem changing website status from debug to release.

Hello, i am trying to create an MSI file to deploy my website. The guide i have
on how to deploy it says that I have to click the drop down menu next to the
green 'run' arrow (set to Debug as default). there i expect to find an option
saying 'Release'. However all i have is 'Debug' or 'Configuration Manager'. How
do i select release so i can create an MSI? Or am i going about creating the MSI
incorrectly?

Thanks,

James.

An MSI is a setup file for installing an application. If you are trying to
deploy a website then you want to use the "Publish Website" option in
the Build menu.

No it can be done, you create an MSI and then install it on the machine / server
you wish to run the site from.

I checked the publish website option, it only seems to offer the option of
extracting the website to the local file system, which isnt really what i'm
after.

Thanks

James.

Gotcha. Well, I think you can go into the Configuration Manager and add a
release build option can't you? Either way, it should work with Debug as well.

james85:i expect to find an option saying 'Release'. However all i have is
'Debug' or 'Configuration Manager'. How do i select release so i can create an
MSI? 

Hi James,

It is by design that there is no “release” option in the “Solution
Configuration” dropdown list for the web site project. 

The web site project is compiled dynamically by ASP.NET. Generate pdb file
(debug or release) or not depends on the “compilation” element
(<compilation debug="false">) in the web.config.   

compilation Element (ASP.NET Settings Schema)
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/s10awwz0.aspx

Alternatively you can use add Web Deployment Project for the web site project to
generate the release version output first and then add a web setup project to
make the msi package. For this scenario, please refer to the following link:

VS 2005 Web Deployment Projects
http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2005/11/06/429723.aspx