Create code behind file after aspx has been created

Question

I just inherited a web site that was created by a designer. The site was originally created with all *.html files. The designer renamed all the *.html files to *.aspx files.

Answer 1

I don't know of an automated way to do this, but if there is no server side code in the existing *.aspx files then it should just be a case of adding the .cs codebehind files and then wiring them up in the <%@ Page tag like so:

<%@ Page Title="YourPageTitle" Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="YourPage.aspx.cs" Inherits="YourNamespace.YourPage" %>

Note: This will not create the YourPage.aspx.designer.cs file. (I usually delete these anyway as they cause merge issues - i find it easier to add the controls i need to reference to my code-behind file manually.)

The other alternative is to just create a new "Web Form" for each page with the correct names and then copy and paste the existing markup into them. If you do have server code in the existing *.aspx files then you will need to manually copy it to the code-behind.

Answer 2

After you add the new .cs file, you may want to see the file look like a codebehind file (indented, icon, etc). To do so:

1. Unload the project
2. Edit the project
3. Find the new filename (file.aspx.cs) in the section with files.
4. Add an xml node for DependentUpon.
5. Save and Close the project
6. Reload the project

For a file Profile.aspx.cs, the xml should look something like this:

<Compile Include="Profile.aspx.cs">
  <DependentUpon>Profile.aspx</DependentUpon>
  <SubType>ASPXCodeBehind</SubType>
</Compile>

Answer 3

In Visual Studio 2012: Right click on the project --> click Add --> click Web Form --> Copy the content of your original aspx file into the new WebForm aspx --> delete the original aspx file --> Rename the new one to anything you want. Now you should have a new aspx file with a code behind file that is ready for use

Answer 4

Based on what I found here: http://forums.asp.net/t/1229894.aspx/1

1. Right click on your solution explorer.
2. Add New Item -> Class File.
3. Name the file as the name of your aspx eg: Default.aspx.cs
4. When it asks you the file should be in app_code click "no".

5. In your aspx in page attribute add

   AutoEventWireup="true" CodeFile="Default.aspx.cs" Inherits="Default"
   

6. Similarly in your class file that you just added remove everything. Your class should look like this:

   //all namespaces go here
   
   
   public partial class Default : System.Web.UI.Page
   {
       protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
       {
       }
   }
   

Answer 5

To save yourself from the drama of manually editing the project file like David Frette details, I suggest you remove the file from the project and create a new file with the same name with a code-behind. Then copy-paste the contents of the original aspx or ascx to the new files.