In an ASP.NET website, when the web.config file is getting called?
In an ASP.NET website, the web.config file is called and processed by the ASP.NET runtime at various stages of the application's lifecycle. Here are the main points at which the web.config file is typically accessed:
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Application startup: When the ASP.NET website is started or the application domain is created, the ASP.NET runtime reads and processes the web.config file. This includes parsing the XML structure and loading the configuration settings into memory.
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Request handling: For each incoming request to the website, the ASP.NET runtime examines the web.config file to determine how to handle the request. It checks settings such as URL routing, HTTP modules, authentication methods, and other configurations specified in the web.config file to route the request and execute the appropriate code.
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Configuration changes: The web.config file is also monitored by the ASP.NET runtime for any changes. If the web.config file is modified, the runtime automatically detects the changes and triggers an application restart to apply the updated configuration. This allows dynamic configuration changes without manually restarting the application.
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Configuration inheritance: The web.config file defines configuration settings at the application level. Subdirectories within the application can also have their own web.config files that override or extend the configuration settings defined in the parent directory's web.config file. This hierarchical inheritance ensures that specific settings can be customized or overridden at different levels of the application's directory structure.
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Error handling: The web.config file specifies how the application handles errors and exceptions. When an error occurs, the ASP.NET runtime checks the web.config file for error handling settings such as custom error pages or error logging configurations.
Overall, the web.config file is a crucial component in an ASP.NET website's configuration and runtime behavior. It is accessed and utilized by the ASP.NET runtime during application startup, request handling, configuration changes, and error handling processes.