# DeploymentTransformation

This element is used to define transformations, which you can also apply to your configuration file (`app.config`) when using the Full Framework in your project. **Note that you cannot transform the configuration file in .NET Core projects, as .NET Core does not support app.config.**

Transformations can be nested within a `<Target>` element, allowing you to define different configuration settings per target, e.g. for different platforms (x64/x86) or for different web browsers. You can also use `{Target}` as a placeholder for this value, in which case the placeholder is replaced with the target name.

**Note: When running tests in in multiple threads**, you need to ensure that each thread is accessing a different file, or you will encounter conflicts. Use `RelocateConfigurationFile` in conjunction with the `{TestThreadID}` placeholder to achieve this.

The following elements and attributes are available:

|Element/Attribute  |Required/Optional|Description|
|-------------------|-----------------|-----------|
|GlobalSteps        |Optional         |Deployment transformation steps that are applied globally. Global steps are only applied once.|
|Steps              |**Required**     |Deployment transformation steps for your configuration file.|

Each step can contain the following elements:

|Element/Attribute  |Required/Optional|Description|
|-------------------|-----------------|-----------|
|CopyFolder         |Optional         |Copies a specific folder to the test run instance:<br>`source`: Source folder to copy<br>`target`: Target folder<br>`deleteFolderOnRestore`: Determines whether the folder is deleted if an error occurs during the test run (default=true).<br>**Example:** `<CopyFolder source="%TMP%\SpecRunTestSource" target="%TMP%\SpecRunTestCopy" />` |
|ConfigFileTransformation|Optional    |**Note: Not available in .NET Core projects, as this affects `app.config`!**<br>Defines the transformation applied to the configuration file.<br>`configFile`: the configuration file to transform (optional)<br>`Transformation:` The transformation applied to the file.|
|Relocate            |Optional        |Changes the location where the tests run, allowing you to continue developing while your tests run (as the `bin/debug` folder is no longer used to execute tests).<br>`targetFolder`: The folder the application is moved to for testing. Moving this to another folder than `/bin/debug` means you can continue working in Visual Studio while the tests run.<br>`deleteFolderOnRestore`: Determines whether the folder is deleted if an error occurs during the test run.|
|RelocateConfigurationFile|Optional    |**Note: Not available in .NET Core projects, as this affects `app.config`!**<br>`target`: The target location of the relocated config file relative to the base folder<br>Relocating your configuration file creates a copy of the test assembly configuration file, allowing each thread to be configured differently. It makes sense to include the `{TestThreadId}` placeholder in the relocated file's name so that a different file is used by each thread. <br>**Note:** Any transformations applied to your default configuration file are also applied to the relocated files.| 
|Custom              |Optional         |You can write your own deployment steps that are executed. The corresponding class must implement `TechTalk.SpecRun.Framework.IDeploymentTransformationStep`.<br>Add a `<Custom>` element for each step containing the following attributes:<br>`type`: The type that implements the custom step in the format `Path, DLL`, where `Path` includes the namespace and corresponding class (e.g. `DeploymentSteps.MySteps`) and where `DLL` is the name of the assembly containing the class.<br>`arguments`: The arguments used by the custom step. If this is a string, the string can be accessed via DeploymentContext.CustomData.<br>**Note:** In order to access your custom steps, the DLL containing the steps needs to be present in your output folder. You can ensure this is the case by adding a reference to your solution.|
|IISExpress          |Optional        |Used to test web applications. Atributes:<br>'webAppFolder': The path to the web application you want to test.<br>`iisExpressPath`: The path to IISExpress (default = `%ProgramFiles%\IIS Express\iisexpress.exe`).<br>`port`: The port used by IISExpress to listen for requests (default = 8080).<br>`useShellExecute`: Determines whether to start IISExpress with or without the shell.|
|DeleteFolder |Optional | Deletes the specified folder<br>`path`: The path of the folder to be deleted (relative to the base folder).<br>**Example:** `<DeleteFolder path="%USERPROFILE%\.nuget\packages\SpecRun.SpecFlow" />`|
|EnvironmentVariable |Optional | Defines an environment variable<br>`variable`: The name of the environment variable.<br>`value`: The value of the environment variable.<br>**Example:** `<EnvironmentVariable variable="Test_Browser" value="Firefox" />` <br>**Note:** If you run multiple targets in parallel using multiple test threads you have to use `Process` test thread isolation to avoid race conditions between the test threads trying to access the same environment variable.|

## Example

```xml
<DeploymentTransformation>
   <Steps>
      <ConfigFileTransformation configFile="App.config">
         <Transformation>
            <![CDATA[<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
               <configuration xmlns:xdt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/XML-Document-Transform">
                  <appSettings>
                     <add key="foo" value="bar" xdt:Locator="Match(key)" xdt:Transform="Insert"/>
                  </appSettings>
               </configuration>
            ]()>
         </Transformation>
      </ConfigFileTransformation>
   </Steps>
</DeploymentTransformation>
```