title: System.IO.PathTooLongException On A URL
body: <p>I am running into an issue that a long URL will throw a System.IO.PathTooLongException. This is somewhat strange because a System.IO.PathTooLongException is actually for physical files, it is not related to URL's. </p>
  
  <p>As an example, I have a URL that looks like the following : </p>
  
  <pre><code>products-for-sale.mvc/searchterm1-something/price-1000-1500/searchterm3-etcetc/ 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Basically with the search terms bloating out the URL. We also allow a keyword search which can get kinda big if the user is looking for something specific. As a side note, the .mvc on the URL is a hangover of the application from when it ran on IIS6 and extensionless URL's were not supported, but it shouldn't really be an issue here. </p>
  
  <p>What I believe the issue is, is that it looks for a physical file using the URL. I could be wrong, but I think that is the issue. Almost every article about PathTooLongException's revolve around actual files, not URL's being too long. </p>
  
  <p>I had an inkling that within the IIS handler mappings, I could switch off to check if a physical file exists (I think this was a setting in IIS6?), but in IIS7 under request restrictions of a handler mapping, it only has "Invoke handler only if request is mapped to" and then file/folder/file or folder. This is NOT ticked for .mvc in IIS, and there is no where else that I have found to try and say "please don't look for a physical file if using this extension". </p>
  
  <p>I could be way off base with my guesses on how to fix the issue.</p>