ASP.Net Web Application Add Config Transform Grayed Out

Question

I added an existing ASP.Net web application project to my solution. In addition to the standard debug and release configurations this solution also has two custom configurations, SAT and UAT. For the new web application right clicking on Web.Config shows the context menu but the option for "Add Config Transform" is grayed out.

I'm at a loss. The new project is a web application. The Configuration Manager does not show the two custom configurations for this project but it does for the other projects. The project appears to have the correct entries in the solution file.

Thoughts?

Demonstrable

Answer 1

You must first define the configurations in the Configuration Manager. To be sure you are bringing up the Configuration Manager, you can access it by going to: Build->Configuraton Manager

In the Active Solution Configuration dropdown, select <New...>. Once you've added, you will then be able to "Add Config Transform".

Don't edit your solution file directly. It will only cause headaches.

Pun

Duh. I had tried that before but failed to uncheck the "create" box so it was failing as a "duplicate". As soon as I unchecked the "create" box it worked. – Demonstrable

@maplemale Same here, option still gray – Inanition

I'm sorry, I can't remember how I got this working.I may have hacked the sln file directly, contrary to Jeremy's answer, it's sometimes just the only time-viable option. I haven't had this issue though since upgrading to VS2015. – Waverley

Solution and Project configurations are different! You need to create a configuration in a given project before it can use that transform. Either check "Create new project configurations" to create the configuration in all projects at once, or do it individually like @Demonstrable did. – Hailee

I don't have the option at all. Already added a build configuration. – Executioner

If it's still grayed out, make sure that your web project has a build configuration that matches the name of the solution configuration and make sure that it's selected. – Broadloom

What if the configuration already exists at the solution level, named, let´s say "QA"? Many projects in the solution already have a web transformation for QA but other projects added more recently just show that option grayed out? :( – Tother

Answer 2

As we work with PublishProfiles, for me the answer was right-clicking the relevant pubxml file (found in the project folder Properties subfolder PublishProfiles) and then selecting Add Config Transform. No managers needed ;).

Hippo

This solution works much better for me since I only want this transform added, nothing else. The new active solution configuration has an impact on all the projects in the solution, which isn't relevant in my case. Thanks! – Pibroch

Perfect. Works in my old Web Forms project that I'm now editing in Visual Studio 2015. Love it. Thank you. – Fetlock

Tested and working on VS 2015. However, i still can't understand why the "Add Config Transform" is grayed out – Novice

Answer 3

In my case, in Visual Studio 2015, when I created a new solution based on a project template, Add Config Transform was greyed out - but for a different reason:

Clicking on "Show all files" revealed the files were already there - only hidden. Hence, the button was greyed out (because there is no need to add them as they are already there).

1. Click "Show all files" icon:
   

2. Now you can expand "Web.config":
   

3. Double click on any of the transform files (Web.Debug.config or Web.Release.config) to open and edit it.

Notes:

• I did not want to add an additional configuration, just use Debug and Release. If you create one, select it, and the transform file does not exist yet, then the context menu item Add Config Transform is active and not greyed out.

• Another way is to delete (or move the files outside of the project directory), then re-create them from scratch (via Add config transform).
  Because they are not there any more, the menu shouldn't be greyed out. It might be necessary to close and re-open the solution after you've removed the files.

• If you want to create additional configuration transform files, keep in mind that in Visual Studio, config transforms are correlated with configurations.
  To add another transform, you need to add a new configuration first. In order to add another one, do the following:
  Via the configuration manager (the dropdown where you can select Debug or Release), add a new configuration first, e.g. myNewConfig. Then select myNewConfig. Now select Web.config in the Solution Explorer, right click and select in the context menu "Add Config Transform":
  It will create Web.myNewConfig.config. Once it exists, the context menu will be grayed out again, because VS only allows one transform per configuration.

Eleanoreleanora

This was the situation for me as well. I wanted the config transform files to stay visible, so I commented out the <DependentUpon>Web.config</DependentUpon> in the project file. The transforms still work as expected. – Truckle

How can I add new config transforms? – Scherzando

@Scherzando - In Visual Studio, config transforms are correlated with configurations. Via the configuration manager (the dropdown where you can select Debug or Release), add a new configuration first, e.g. myNewConfig. Then select myNewConfig. Now select Web.config, right click and select in the context menu "Add Config Transform" - it will create Web.myNewConfig.config. – Eleanoreleanora

I did that Matt and was able to add one config file but I am trying to add another config file and now again the "add Config Transform" is grayed out. I also created new configuration file for next config file – Scherzando

@Scherzando - That's correct, because you can only have one per configuration. To get another one, add one extra configuration, say, myNewConfig2. Then select myNewConfig2 and try again. It should not be gray this time - select it. Note: It will grey out as soon as a config file for that configuration exists. – Eleanoreleanora

@Matt. Thanks for guidance. I actually added new configuration and did it but still could not Get "Add Config Transform" button enabled but in mean time I found that Create new project configuration button was unchecked under new configuration window so it was not working, I checked it and added and it worked . Thanks once again – Scherzando

Answer 4

I solved this by realizing two things:

1. There is a Solution level configuration, and there are Project level configurations. The web.MyConfigName.config is created based on project level configurations.
2. It seems that Visual Studio 2017 Configuration Manager bases what configurations to add from the (hidden) obj folder. Deleting the obj folder for the project and rebuilding will update the project with the configurations you've added.

To make the option "add config transform" available follow these steps:

1. Make sure you have enabled to Show Hidden Files
2. Open configuration manager for the Solution
3. Pick the relevant Solution config, then in the dropdown next to your project pick <New..> or <Edit..> and add, remove or edit what Project configs you want.
4. Delete the obj folder in your project. Rebuild. Make sure you save the changes to your project and solution files. I also restarted visual studio, because why not. Verify that you see all your project configs as folders in your obj folder.
5. Right-click web.config and add your config transformation.

Hope it helps someone. :)

Renayrenckens

Answer 5

To get this working i had to add new property groups to my csproj file.

Add Config Transform was grayed out.

i added the following XML to my csproj and reloaded the project. then Add Config Transform was available. once selected my addition transforms were added

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'IAT_CMCD|AnyCPU'">
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'UAT_CM|AnyCPU'">
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>

Bolten

Answer 6

How to enable "Add Config Transform" option. Please follow the below steps. Step1: Go to Solution configuration (Below Team) Go to Solution configuration (Below Team)

Step2: Click on Configuration Manager Click on configuration manager

Step3: Select New from Active solution configuration window Select New from Active solution configuration window

Step4: Now give meaningful name to your new item like Production/Staging and select copy setting from "Release" option. Make sure you checked the checkbox if it is not coming checked by default and click OK. Now give meaningful name to your new item like Production/Staging

Step5: Now go back to your solution explorer and right click on your Web.Config file. Add Config Transform is enable now

Hola! Add Config Transform is enable now. :)

Mange

Answer 7

I had this problem and resolved this away:

Image of the problem

1: Build > Configuration Manager Image Step 1

Step 2: Select your project and click and NEW Image Step 2

3: Put the name and remove check in box Image Step 3

4: After creation, close and go to web.config and try again, the button is ability Image Step 4

Result

Quito