What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.configRSS

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  stevex33

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  What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.config

  Jun 25, 2011 11:37 AM|stevex33|LINK

  Hi All,

  Question is in the subject.

  I can't find a simple answer on google, they both sound like they do the same thing.

  I'm studying for my web development exam and although I generally pick the correct answer when both of these show up as an option, I'm never really sure why.

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  tehremo

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  Re: What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.config

  Jun 25, 2011 11:39 AM|tehremo|LINK

  Can you re-state that question?  What are you asking?

  "Sometimes, it is more important to have the right problem than the best solution."
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  stevex33

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  Re: What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.config

  Jun 25, 2011 11:46 AM|stevex33|LINK

  sorry just updated it, this forum doesn't like left and right angle brackets :)

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  tehremo

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  Re: What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.config

  Jun 25, 2011 12:06 PM|tehremo|LINK

  As far as I know, there is no difference between the two.  This is illustrated in the MSDN article for HttpHandlers:
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/46c5ddfy.aspx

  and the IIS article on Handlers:
  http://www.iis.net/ConfigReference/system.webServer/handlers

  If you look at the code samples, they are almost identical

  IIS:

  <handlers>
     <add name="SampleHandler" verb="*" 
        path="SampleHandler.new" 
        type="SampleHandler, SampleHandlerAssembly" 
        resourceType="Unspecified" />
  </handlers>
  
  MSDN:

  <httpHandlers>
        <add verb="*" path="SampleHandler.new" 
          type="SampleHandler, SampleHandlerAssembly" />
      </httpHandlers>
  
  Hope that helps.

  "Sometimes, it is more important to have the right problem than the best solution."
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  cichanlx

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  Re: What's the difference between httphandlers and handlers in web.config

  Dec 21, 2011 01:42 PM|cichanlx|LINK

  @tehremo: Yes, they are very similar in syntax, but there certainly are significant differences.

  Foremost, the httpHandlers element is used on sites running on IIS 5 – 6, or IIS 7.x in Classic mode (IIS 6 compatibility mode).  The handlers element is used on sites running on IIS 7.x (Integrated mode).

  You can have both in a Web.config, which would make sense if you develop against one version of IIS and deploy to another, for example.