Visual Studio import .publishsettings for File System

Question

Where/How do you create a .publishsettings file, so you can import a common configuration for all of your local, test deployments?

I want to publish another site locally to my computer via Visual Studio to C:\Webs\TheSite. Every time I do this for a new site, I have to create a new custom profile and go through and click all the checkboxes etc.

I would rather start by importing a pre-configured .publishsettings file, and just change TheSite in the destination path.

However, I can only find instructions for Azure and FTP/WebDeploy:

• http://gauravmantri.com/2012/09/14/about-windows-azure-publish-settings-file-and-how-to-create-your-own-publish-settings-file/
• http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/web-sites-dotnet-get-started/
• http://www.iis.net/learn/web-hosting/joining-the-web-hosting-gallery/generate-a-profile-xml-file

Answer 1

Surprisingly answer to this simple question is so hard to find. I wasted hours searching answer to this to save minutes in creating new profile. Well then I never knew it would take so much time.

The simple hack is to copy the "PublishProfiles" folder from previous project (from where you want to get publish profile) and paste it in present project in "MyProject" folder.

If you already have "PublishProfiles" folder in present project then copy only the relevant xxx.pubxml and xxx.pubxml,user files from previous project.

Then open the profile and edit it as you like.