Greetings from a new user of Visual Studio 2013 Express for Web that was freshly installed about two weeks ago. I would really appreciate any help or guidance regarding my issue below. If I'm in the wrong forum, please suggest where I should move it.
For years, I've used MS Expression Web (and Expression Studio) versions 1-4 and am now migrating to VS 2013 Express for Web (with IIS 8 Express) on a Win8.1 Pro x64 system. Typically, I develop a website on this local system for later deployment to a web server on GoDaddy, Network Solutions, or other web hosts.
For the past week, I've been baffled by an odd issue when creating local test websites, as I learn my way around VS2013.
When I create a new local website via the VS Start Page or File > New Website (ASP.Net Empty Website), I go through the process of creating a new website, this one named TestSite104. VS then creates the necessary Project folder named "TestSite104"
and adds two files into it, TestSite104.sln and TestSite104.v12.sou. Then my Solution Explorer shows what I would expect (see screen cap):
Now, if I close and re-open the website via the VS Start Page "Recent" list, the site opens and Solution Explorer displays the same as described above, which I expect.
BUT, if I use File > Open Web Site (or the Start Page "Open Web Site), and choose "TestSite104" from either the local File System or Local IIS, I get this:
NOTE that it is now named "localhost_64955". And if I then try to close this website, it asks to save it and creates a new Project folder named "localhost_64955" and a new localhost_64955.sln and localhost_64955.v12.sou files.
So now, for the very same website, VS has created two different Project folders and .sln and .sou files, just because of the method I used to open the website. On subsequent re-opens of the website, using either of the methods described above, I'll get the same results opening. Either project "TestSite104" will open or project "localhost_94655" will open.
I am completely baffled by this and have spent a week researching and trying to understand what's going on, as well as trying different things, but nothing explains this behavior. I don't even understand why it's doing this, despite all the searching & reading I've done. I've seen very few mentions of this anywhere (with no answers or explanations).
I just don't know enough about VS or IIS 8 Express to know if this is normal or not or what's going on. Like I said, I'm new to VS and come from the world of Expression Web.
Any help or guidance will be appreciated. Thank you.