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Question

I am new to C#.net web applications but I have worked on C#.net desktop applications.

I am trying to determine what is the startup point is for a C#.net 2010 web application. In a desktop application, you can find a program.cs file that contains a static main method. H

However in the C#.net web application I am looking at, there is no program.cs file. Thus how can I tell what the startup file is? At least what is the main method I am looking for? If there are several main methods, which one am I looking for?

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Look at the bin directory for the project. Do you see an exe anywhere? How about in the Debug or release subdirectory? What you do see is a DLL correct? DLLs never have a Main. (DLLs have a DllMain but that is different.) Every DLL executes in the address space (process) of it's caller. There is an address space for each exe and each address space has a process (exe). See my An Introduction to Virtual Memory in Windows for a little bit more about that. A web application executes within IIS in a server. There can be hundreds of such applications; maybe thousands. That would create an excessive use of resources if every instance of a web application were in a separate process. That is why Common Gateway Interface is not used much anymore; each insgtance of a CGI program requires a separate process.

Vulpes · Answer

The Main() method is generated by ASP.NET in the background and you never see it. Initialization code should either be placed in the Page_Init or the Page_Load eventhandlers for your home page. You may find this link which explains the page lifecycle useful: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479007.aspx