Using Visual Studio 2008, I can create a website two different ways.  The first way is to create solution file and then add a ASP.NET web application project to it.  The second way is to create an ASP.NET web application using the File -> New -> New Website.

The first way creates a project that has to be compiled before it can be viewed.  The second way creates the project as a compile-on-access type of project.

This may be the same with 2005, but I have not tested it since I always used the second way.  I started using the first way because of needing to create separate internal and external sites for the same solution.

My question is, why the two different ways of building a project.  Is one better than the other?

Thanks,

Vincent
 

Its a matter of preference mainly Personally I Prefer web application projects because of the way it handles references and because of the fact that it generates one dll by default and you do not need to use web deployment projects. Also web application projects are faster to compile

See some thoughts from Scott Guthrie

http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2006/09/22/Tip_2F00_Trick_3A00_-Optimizing-ASP.NET-2.0-Web-Project-Build-Performance-with-VS-2005.aspx

Thanks for the info! I have been looking for this information.

I see this is something that has been around since 2005.  I just never used it because we always used web projects. Thanks.