I hear C#, I see C#, I do .NET

If you find your self missing the WCF configuration editing tool when you right click the config file in your project don't PANIC. There are couple of ways to get this working again. One way is to modify your proj file and another way is to add ServiceConfig.exe as one of the file type editors in Visual Studio. And there is an ultimate super geeky way too!

Modifying the Visual Studio proj file route

In your solution right click the project file and select Unload Project from the context menu. Now right click the project file again and select edit from the context menu. You will see a ton of XML goo. Again don't PANIC.

Add this XML

<ProjectTypeGuids>{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}</ProjectTypeGuids>

right after the AssemblyName XML element, like so:

<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <ProductVersion>9.0.30428</ProductVersion>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <ProjectGuid>{86A43EFA-B018-421B-B67F-C170139A79E4}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <RootNamespace>Microsoft.ServiceModel.Samples</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>WCF_Router.Router</AssemblyName>

    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
    <FileUpgradeFlags>
    </FileUpgradeFlags>
    <UpgradeBackupLocation>
    </UpgradeBackupLocation>
    <OldToolsVersion>2.0</OldToolsVersion>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v3.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>

Now right click the project in the solution and select Reload from the context menu. Click Yes. That should be it.

Open With route

If the method above looks to esoteric and scary or just simply does not work you can use this technique. Right click the config file and from the context menu select  "Open With".  Click Add and you will be presented with Add Program dialog box. For the program name navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\bin\SvcConfigEditor.exe (or just copy paste this path). Set Friendly Name to WCF Config Editor.

Now you can right click the config file and from the context menu select Open With then select WCF Config Editor and click Ok. And all is good.

For super geek's only

If none of these methods are to exciting you can always select this tool from Tools menu :)

The only drag is that you will have to navigate to your config file from within the configuration editor. This certainly puts a little bit of excitement in your day hunting down config files on your box. It's a jungle out there.

Petar.