The ASP.NET Directory Structure                                                        

A given ASP.NET Web application can contain any number of special subdirectories which are honored by
the runtime. In fact, when you make a new Web Site or Web Application Project with Visual Studio, you will
find a new folder named App_Data present and accounted for.




















The App_Data folder is used by ASP.NET to create a SQL Express database for personalization,
membership, etc.

You can also put your own type of database in here, so long there is a .NET data provider registered in the
GAC (Global Assembly Cache) and you’ve added it to machine.config. This is discussed later in the Provider
chapter.

As you insert various items into your Web site, Visual Studio will automatically add special ASP.NET
folders when required. If the ASP.NET does not exist, Visual Studio will prompt you and ask if it can add the
folder for you. Nice!
 
We will see many of these folders in action over the remaining chapters, however, consider the following:
Directory Structure
Table of Contents
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Courseware
Training Resources
Tutorials
ASP.NET
Subdirectory
 Meaning in Life
App_Browsers
 Folder for browser definitions (.browser files)
that ASP.NET uses to identify individual
browsers and determine their capabilities.
App_Code
 Folder for source code (usually not directly tied
to one particular Web file) that you want to
compile as part of your application.
Code in the App_Code folder is automatically
compiled on the fly when requested and the
resulting assembly is placed in various temporary
directories (not the expected \Bin folder).
App_Data
 Folder for storing Access .mdb files, SQL Server
2005 Express .mdf files, XML files, and other
data stores.
App_GlobalResources
 Folder for .resx files that are accessed
programmatically from application code.
App_LocalResources
 Folder for .resx files that are bound to a specific
page.
App_Themes
 Folder that contains a collection of files that
define the appearance of ASP.NET Web pages
and controls.
App_WebReferences
 Folder for proxy classes, schemas, and other files
associated with using a Web service in your
application.
Bin
 Folder for compiled private assemblies (.dll). The
Web application automatically references
assemblies in the Bin folder.
Services