Beginning Web Development, Silverlight, and ASP.NET AJAX

CHAPTER 2 ■ BASICS OF WEB DEVELOPMENT WITH ASP.NET 35
Here, the configuration for the system.web namespace is being set up. As you can see,
the compilation attribute is set to "true", enabling application debugging. Any references
that were added will have their assemblies referenced here, and the authentication type
that should be used to talk to the site is set. Web.config is a useful and powerful tool, and
something you should become familiar with. As you step through the examples in this
book, you’ll be using it extensively to fine-tune and configure your site to work to the best
of its abilities.
The recommended methodology for editing Web.config is to use the Web Site ➤
ASP.NET Configuration menu option within the IDE. This menu option launches an
editor for Web.config, called the Web Site Administration Tool, which ensures that the
settings are placed in the correct location in the file and that they are using the correct
syntax. Invalid syntax or settings within Web.config will break your site, so be careful
when editing it by hand! You can see the Web Site Administration Tool in Figure 2-23.