How do I add BundleConfig.cs to my project?

Question

I have an ASP.Net MVC project and I want to implement bundling, but everything I can find on the internet directs me to open BundleConfig.cs in App_Start - however this file does not exist in my project. I have only three files in that folder: FilterConfig, RouteConfig and WebApiConfig.

Bundle config wasn't generated when I created the solution (IIRC it was a blank ASP.NET MVC project at the beginning).

It seems like this should be really easy to do, but I just plain cannot figure it out.

P.S. Just to clarify to those not reading closely, this is for a MVC4/.Net 4.5 app created from scratch. The solution is marked below.

You can't find it because this is only included in ASP.NET 4.5 project templates. I assume you are using an earlier version of ASP.NET. — Jason Roell
Possible duplicate of How to add reference to System.Web.Optimization for MVC-3-converted-to-4 app — Liam
@Liam Nope. As it clearly states in the question, this is regarding an app created anew, not converted from MVC3. It also pretty clearly is for how to add the BundleConfig.cs file - not how to add a reference to System.Web.Optimization (something that is totally unnecessary in this question's scenario). I have to assume you were trying to comment on an altogether different question. — Maverick
@Liam - actually, I see perhaps you may have been confused by the answer, which includes the step "add the Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization nuget package to your web project" which was not part of the solution to the above problem. What was the solution was adding the BundleConfig.cs file. I did say this in a comment on the answer...but that comment (and all others on the answer) seem to have disappeared. — Maverick

vmg vmg · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-10T02:54:16

BundleConfig is nothing more than bundle configuration moved to separate file. It used to be part of app startup code (filters, bundles, routes used to be configured in one class)

To add this file, first you need to add the Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization nuget package to your web project:

Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization

Then under the App_Start folder create a new cs file called BundleConfig.cs. Here is what I have in my mine (ASP.NET MVC 5, but it should work with MVC 4):

using System.Web;
using System.Web.Optimization;

namespace CodeRepository.Web
{
    public class BundleConfig
    {
        // For more information on bundling, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=301862
        public static void RegisterBundles(BundleCollection bundles)
        {
            bundles.Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/jquery").Include(
                        "~/Scripts/jquery-{version}.js"));

            bundles.Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/jqueryval").Include(
                        "~/Scripts/jquery.validate*"));

            // Use the development version of Modernizr to develop with and learn from. Then, when you're
            // ready for production, use the build tool at http://modernizr.com to pick only the tests you need.
            bundles.Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/modernizr").Include(
                        "~/Scripts/modernizr-*"));

            bundles.Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/bootstrap").Include(
                      "~/Scripts/bootstrap.js",
                      "~/Scripts/respond.js"));

            bundles.Add(new StyleBundle("~/Content/css").Include(
                      "~/Content/bootstrap.css",
                      "~/Content/site.css"));
        }
    }
}

Then modify your Global.asax and add a call to RegisterBundles() in Application_Start():

using System.Web.Optimization;

protected void Application_Start()
{
    AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
    RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
    BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
}

A closely related question: How to add reference to System.Web.Optimization for MVC-3-converted-to-4 app

How do I add BundleConfig.cs to my project?

2 Answers