Overview: Converting Visual Studio Web Sites and Projects to Visual Studio 2008
This topic describes key concepts, project types, and scenarios for converting Web projects that were created in Visual Studio .NET 2002, Visual Studio .NET 2003, and Visual Studio 2005 to Visual Studio 2008 projects.
Conversion Concepts
Converting a Visual Studio Web site or project from an earlier version to Visual Studio 2008 involves two parts: converting the project format and upgrading the .NET Framework version. Converting the Web project format is required.
.gif "Important note") Important Note: |
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After you have opened or converted a project from a previous Visual Studio version in Visual Studio 2008, reopening the project in the earlier version is not supported. The conversion is intended to be one-way. |
If you convert from Visual Studio 2005, you can optionally upgrade the project to run on the .NET Framework 3.5. Alternatively, you can omit the upgrade and keep it running on the original .NET Framework version.
If you convert a project from Visual Studio 2002 or 2003, you must upgrade the project to run on the .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 or the .NET Framework 3.5.
Web Project Formats
The following table lists the types of Web-related projects that are available in each version of Visual Studio.
Visual Studio project type |
Comment |
More information |
|---|---|---|
Visual Studio .NET 2002 and 2003 Web project |
The default format for Web sites in Visual Studio .NET 2002 and 2003. |
|
Visual Studio 2005 Web site project |
The default project format for Visual Studio 2005. |
|
Visual Studio 2005 SP1 Web application project |
A project type that was introduced with SP1. This project type adds project management features and eases conversion from earlier versions. |
For an explanation of the Web application project format introduced in SP1, see Introduction to Web Application Projects |
Visual Studio 2008 Web site project |
A Web site format that is like the default format that is used in Visual Studio 2005. |
|
Visual Studio 2008 Web application project |
A project format that is like the Web application project format that is used in Visual Studio 2005. In Visual Studio 2008, this is likely be the most common target format for Web sites that are converted from Visual Studio .NET 2002 and 2003. |
AJAX-enabled Web Sites
A Web site that includes support for AJAX features based on Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX is referred to as an AJAX-enabled Web site. You can add AJAX support to a Visual Studio 2005 Web site by installing the ASP.NET AJAX components on your development computer and Web server. You can then add AJAX controls and features to the Web site. For more information, see the ASP.NET AJAX Web site.
If you want to convert a Visual Studio 2005 Web site that contains AJAX features to Visual Studio 2008, the overall process is similar, but you must perform additional steps. After you convert the Visual Studio project as described in the topics listed in the following section, follow the steps described in How To: Upgrade an ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 Web Project to .NET Framework 3.5.
Conversion Scenarios
The following table provides a summary of the most common Web project conversion scenarios. Some conversion scenarios can be performed by using the Visual Studio Conversion Wizard. Others must be done manually.
Find the conversion scenario that you want in the table, and then follow any associated links to additional documentation about that type of conversion.
Original Visual Studio project format |
Target Visual Studio project format |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
Visual Studio .NET 2002 or 2003 Web project |
Visual Studio 2008 Web application project |
For more information, see Walkthrough: Converting a Visual Studio 2002 or 2003 Web Project to a Visual Studio 2008 Web Application Project. |
Visual Studio .NET 2002 and 2003 Web project |
Visual Studio 2008 Web site project |
This conversion is possible, but conversion to a Web application project is recommended, and is simpler. For more information about how to convert to a Visual Studio 2008 Web site, see Common Web Project Conversion Issues and Solutions. |
Visual Studio 2005 Web site project |
Visual Studio 2008 Web application project |
For more information, see Walkthrough: Converting a Visual Studio 2005 Web Site Project to a Visual Studio 2008 Web Application Project. |
Visual Studio 2005 Web site project |
Visual Studio 2008 Web site project |
For more information, see Walkthrough: Converting a Visual Studio 2005 Web Site Project to a Visual Studio 2008 Web Site Project. |
Visual Studio 2005 Web application project |
Visual Studio 2008 Web application project |
For more information, see Walkthrough: Converting a Visual Studio 2005 Web Application Project to a Visual Studio 2008 Web Application Project. |
See Also
Tasks
How To: Work with an ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 Web Project in Visual Studio 2008
How To: Upgrade an ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 Web Project to .NET Framework 3.5