Deploying Applications in VB.NET: Part 1/2
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Ever wondered how to deploy your own VB.NET applications? In this 2 part article, Jayesh runs you through everything you need to know to get started ASAP!Remember back in the good old DOS days when application were small and just copying those file(s) to the clients machine was all it needed to run? Unfortunately, that wont work today.
Applications are getting more sophisticated and complicated everyday, and they need to be installed on the client's machine with utter care and in the right folders so as to make sure that every file on the client's computer is accounted and installed properly and that it does not break any existing application.
When an application is uninstalled, it should not break any existing applications and it should return the computer to its original state. Overall, this whole process should be transparent and simple for the end user.
If you're having problems deploying your Visual Basic.NET applications then fret no more! In this article I will go through the process of creating a deployment for our application in Visual Basic.NET, which will be a simple one executable file application, which requires us to install databases, sample files, help files, etc (in short, complicated!).
For all you VB6 or earlier programmers, there is no Package & Deployment Wizard in VB.NET as the deployment in now a project type.
Unlike the old VB6 deployment kit, which created script-based setup files, VB.NET creates an installer (.msi) file, which is more advanced and smarter than the old setup files.
All application develop under VB.NET require the .NET framework to be installed on the clients machine. Even the installer built with VB.NET needs the .NET framework, and hence you need to install the .NET framework before installing your application.
Next: What is Microsoft Windows Installer? >>
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