AspNetCore.Docs/aspnetcore/mvc/views/view-compilation.md

title	author	description	ms.author	ms.custom	ms.date	no-loc	uid
Razor file compilation in ASP.NET Core	rick-anderson	Learn how compilation of Razor files occurs in an ASP.NET Core app.	riande	mvc	04/14/2020	Home Privacy Kestrel appsettings.json ASP.NET Core Identity cookie Cookie Blazor Blazor Server Blazor WebAssembly Identity Let's Encrypt Razor SignalR	mvc/views/view-compilation

Razor file compilation in ASP.NET Core

By Rick Anderson

::: moniker range=">= aspnetcore-6.0"

Razor files with a .cshtml extension are compiled at both build and publish time using the Razor SDK. Runtime compilation may be optionally enabled by configuring your project.

Razor compilation

Build-time and publish-time compilation of Razor files is enabled by default by the Razor SDK. When enabled, runtime compilation complements build-time compilation, allowing Razor files to be updated if they're edited.

Enable runtime compilation at project creation

The Razor Pages and MVC project templates include an option to enable runtime compilation when the project is created. This option is supported in ASP.NET Core 3.1 and later.

Visual Studio

In the Create a new ASP.NET Core web application dialog:

1. Select either the Web Application or the Web Application (Model-View-Controller) project template.
2. Select the Enable Razor runtime compilation checkbox.

.NET Core CLI

Use the -rrc or --razor-runtime-compilation template option. For example, the following command creates a new Razor Pages project with runtime compilation enabled:

dotnet new webapp --razor-runtime-compilation

---

Enable runtime compilation in an existing project

To enable runtime compilation for all environments in an existing project:

1. Install the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation NuGet package.

2. Update the project's Startup.ConfigureServices method to include a call to xref:Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.RazorRuntimeCompilationMvcBuilderExtensions.AddRazorRuntimeCompilation*. For example:

   public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
   {
       services.AddRazorPages()
           .AddRazorRuntimeCompilation();
   
       // code omitted for brevity
   }
   

Conditionally enable runtime compilation in an existing project

Runtime compilation can be enabled such that it's only available for local development. Conditionally enabling in this manner ensures that the published output:

• Uses compiled views.
• Doesn't enable file watchers in production.

To enable runtime compilation only in the Development environment:

1. Install the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation NuGet package.
2. Modify the launch profile environmentVariables section in launchSettings.json:
   • Verify ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT is set to "Development".
   • Set ASPNETCORE_HOSTINGSTARTUPASSEMBLIES to "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation".

In the following example, runtime compilation is enabled in the Development environment for the IIS Express and RazorPagesApp launch profiles:

[!code-json]

No code changes are needed in the project's Startup class. At runtime, ASP.NET Core searches for an assembly-level HostingStartup attribute in Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation. The HostingStartup attribute specifies the app startup code to execute. That startup code enables runtime compilation.

Enable runtime compilation for a Razor Class Library

Consider a scenario in which a Razor Pages project references a Razor Class Library (RCL) named MyClassLib. The RCL contains a _Layout.cshtml file that all of your team's MVC and Razor Pages projects consume. You want to enable runtime compilation for the _Layout.cshtml file in that RCL. Make the following changes in the Razor Pages project:

1. Enable runtime compilation with the instructions at Conditionally enable runtime compilation in an existing project.

2. Configure the runtime compilation options in Startup.ConfigureServices:

   [!code-csharp]

   In the preceding code, an absolute path to the MyClassLib RCL is constructed. The PhysicalFileProvider API is used to locate directories and files at that absolute path. Finally, the PhysicalFileProvider instance is added to a file providers collection, which allows access to the RCL's .cshtml files.

Additional resources

• RazorCompileOnBuild and RazorCompileOnPublish properties.
• xref:razor-pages/index
• xref:mvc/views/overview
• xref:razor-pages/sdk

::: moniker-end

::: moniker range=">= aspnetcore-3.0 < aspnetcore-6.0"

Razor files with a .cshtml extension are compiled at both build and publish time using the Razor SDK. Runtime compilation may be optionally enabled by configuring your project.

Razor compilation

Build-time and publish-time compilation of Razor files is enabled by default by the Razor SDK. When enabled, runtime compilation complements build-time compilation, allowing Razor files to be updated if they're edited.

Enable runtime compilation at project creation

The Razor Pages and MVC project templates include an option to enable runtime compilation when the project is created. This option is supported in ASP.NET Core 3.1 and later.

Visual Studio

In the Create a new ASP.NET Core web application dialog:

1. Select either the Web Application or the Web Application (Model-View-Controller) project template.
2. Select the Enable Razor runtime compilation checkbox.

.NET Core CLI

Use the -rrc or --razor-runtime-compilation template option. For example, the following command creates a new Razor Pages project with runtime compilation enabled:

dotnet new webapp --razor-runtime-compilation

---

Enable runtime compilation in an existing project

To enable runtime compilation for all environments in an existing project:

1. Install the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation NuGet package.

2. Update the project's Startup.ConfigureServices method to include a call to xref:Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.RazorRuntimeCompilationMvcBuilderExtensions.AddRazorRuntimeCompilation*. For example:

   public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
   {
       services.AddRazorPages()
           .AddRazorRuntimeCompilation();
   
       // code omitted for brevity
   }
   

Conditionally enable runtime compilation in an existing project

Runtime compilation can be enabled such that it's only available for local development. Conditionally enabling in this manner ensures that the published output:

• Uses compiled views.
• Doesn't enable file watchers in production.

To enable runtime compilation only in the Development environment:

1. Install the Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation NuGet package.
2. Modify the launch profile environmentVariables section in launchSettings.json:
   • Verify ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT is set to "Development".
   • Set ASPNETCORE_HOSTINGSTARTUPASSEMBLIES to "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation".

In the following example, runtime compilation is enabled in the Development environment for the IIS Express and RazorPagesApp launch profiles:

[!code-json]

No code changes are needed in the project's Startup class. At runtime, ASP.NET Core searches for an assembly-level HostingStartup attribute in Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RuntimeCompilation. The HostingStartup attribute specifies the app startup code to execute. That startup code enables runtime compilation.

Enable runtime compilation for a Razor Class Library

Consider a scenario in which a Razor Pages project references a Razor Class Library (RCL) named MyClassLib. The RCL contains a _Layout.cshtml file that all of your team's MVC and Razor Pages projects consume. You want to enable runtime compilation for the _Layout.cshtml file in that RCL. Make the following changes in the Razor Pages project:

1. Enable runtime compilation with the instructions at Conditionally enable runtime compilation in an existing project.

2. Configure the runtime compilation options in Startup.ConfigureServices:

   [!code-csharp]

   In the preceding code, an absolute path to the MyClassLib RCL is constructed. The PhysicalFileProvider API is used to locate directories and files at that absolute path. Finally, the PhysicalFileProvider instance is added to a file providers collection, which allows access to the RCL's .cshtml files.

Additional resources

• RazorCompileOnBuild and RazorCompileOnPublish properties.
• xref:razor-pages/index
• xref:mvc/views/overview
• xref:razor-pages/sdk

::: moniker-end

::: moniker range="< aspnetcore-3.0"

A Razor file is compiled at runtime, when the associated Razor Page or MVC view is invoked. Razor files are compiled at both build and publish time using the Razor SDK.

Razor compilation

Build-time and publish-time compilation of Razor files is enabled by default by the Razor SDK. Editing Razor files after they're updated is supported at build time. By default, only the compiled Views.dll and no .cshtml files or references assemblies required to compile Razor files are deployed with an app.

[!IMPORTANT] The precompilation tool has been deprecated, and will be removed in ASP.NET Core 3.0. We recommend migrating to Razor Sdk.

The Razor SDK is effective only when no precompilation-specific properties are set in the project file. For instance, setting the .csproj file's MvcRazorCompileOnPublish property to true disables the Razor SDK.

Runtime compilation

Build-time compilation is supplemented by runtime compilation of Razor files. ASP.NET Core MVC will recompile Razor files when the contents of a .cshtml file change.

Additional resources

• xref:razor-pages/index
• xref:mvc/views/overview
• xref:razor-pages/sdk

::: moniker-end