Deploying a Desktop Application

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Chapter 21

• Deploying a Desktop Application

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Key Deployment Terms (1)

• The process of distributing an application is
  called deployment
• Deploy an application by creating another type of
  projected called an installer
• The installer produces a Setup.exe file that is
  run by the user
• The Setup.exe file relies on other support files
  containing the actual program to install

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Key Deployment Terms (2)

• The players
• The development computer is the computer where
  the Deployment project is built
• The target computer is the end users computer
  where the Deployment project will be run

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Steps in the Deployment Process

• Configure a Windows Application project for
  release distribution
• Create a Deployment project within an existing
  solution
• Set global properties for the Deployment project
• Configure the Deployment project using the visual
  editors
• Compile the Deployment project and test the
  installer
• Distribute the installer

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Configuring a Project for Deployment

• Visual Studio .NET supports two default
  configurations
• Debug configuration is used for debugging
• Program Debug Database (.pdb) file is created for
  debugging
• Program is not optimized
• Release configuration is used for distribution
• DEBUG constant is not defined
• Debug information is not generated
• Program is optimized for performance
• Custom configurations are also possible

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Configuring an Application

• The Configuration Manager lists all of the
  projects in a solution and is used to configure
  them
• Configuration column is used to specify the
  desired configuration
• Check the item in the Build column to build the
  project

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Configuration Manager (Illustration)
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Types of Deployment Projects

• Setup Project creates an installer for removable
  media
• CD or DVD for example
• Web Setup Project builds an installer for
  Web-based deployment
• Merge Module Projects are used to deploy Class
  Library projects
• Cab Project used to create cabinet files
• Cabinet files are similar to Zip files
• They are not used much anymore

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Add New Project Dialog box
Setup project
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Multi-project Solutions

• Until now, a solution has had a single project
• Here we work with a Setup project and Windows
  application project in the same solution

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Multi-project Solutions (Illustration)

• The Solution Explorer displays all projects

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Characteristics of Deployment Projects

• Deployment projects do not contain namespace
  references
• Deployment projects do not contain forms
• Deployment projects do not contain code
• Deployment projects are created and configured
  using different visual editors
• It's just about all WYSIWYG

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Properties of a Deployment Project

• Many properties are set using the Projects
  Property pages. Others are set using the
  Properties window
• Output file name contains the name of the
  installer
• Package files list box defines how files will be
  deployed
• Compression list box defines whether the
  installer is optimized for speed or size

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Deployment Project (Property Pages)
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General Deployment Project Properties (1)

• Author and Manufacturer properties contain a
  company name
• Description contains a free form description
• DetectNewerInstalledVersion, if True causes the
  installer to prompt the user if a newer version
  is already installed
• Localization creates custom installers for
  different languages
• ManufacturerUrl property contains the companys
  URI

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General Deployment Project Properties (2)

• ProductName appears as the component description
  in the Add/Remove programs dialog box
• RemovePreviousVersions property controls whether
  older versions will be removed
• Version contains the version number of the
  installer
• This is the version of the installer itself
  rather than the version of the deployed project

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General Deployment Properties (Illustration)
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Configuring a Deployment Project (Introduction)

• Six Deployment Project Editors configure a
  Deployment project
• In general, you need not write any code

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Deployment Editors

• File System Editor defines which files are
  installed on the target computer
• File Types Editor associates files extensions
  with an application
• User Interface Editor configures the dialog boxes
  the user sees when they run the installer
• Launch Conditions Editor specifies target system
  requirements
• Custom Actions Editor allows custom dialogs to be
  created
• Registry Editor allows the installer to read and
  write Registry values

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The File System Editor (Purpose)

• It is used to define the layout file system
  layout on the target computer
• Application Folder represents the files copied to
  the target computer
• Define the items that will appear on the Start
  menu
• Users Programs Menu folder
• Add items to the target computers desktop
• Users Desktop folder

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The File System Editor (Illustration)
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Adding Items to the Target File System

• The Application folder contains four types of
  project items
• Folders represent folders that will be created on
  the target computer
• Project Outputs represents the distributable
  executable application(s) that will be copied to
  folders
• Files are just other files to be deployed with
  the application
• Data files, tutorial files, etc.
• Assembly items is used to specify additional
  assembles needed by the application

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Adding a Project Output

• Five primary types of project outputs
• Primary output the .exe and .dll files produced
  a result of compiling a project
• It is possible to deploy multiple primary outputs
• Localized resources Satellite assemblies for
  localized resource files
• Debug Symbols Deploys the debugging information
• Content Files Help files, data files, tutorial
  files, etc.
• Source Files Deploys the source code for the
  application
• We won't discuss documentation files and XML
  Serialization Assemblies

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Add Project Output Group Dialog Box
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Configuring the Start Menu and Desktop

• Add items to the Users Programs Menu folder in
  the File System Editor to configure the Start
  menu
• It is possible to create sub folders and deploy
  items to those sub folders
• Add items to the Users Desktop folder to add
  outputs to the users desktop

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Deploying Support Files

• Using the File System Editor, create folders and
  sub folders
• Add files to those sub folders

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Creating File Associations

• File associations bind file extensions to
  applications
• Double-click a file in Windows Explorer and the
  application loads
• An application may have multiple file
  associations
• Two or more file extensions may be associated
  with the same application
• Use care not to overwrite existing file
  associations (.doc, .xls, etc.)

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Creating File Associations (Steps)

• Use the File Types Editor to associate a file
  type with an executable file
• Optionally, associate the file type with an icon
• Icon appears in Windows Explorer
• Modify the application, as necessary, to read to
  read and process the file when the application
  starts

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The File Types Editor

• Use to create file associations
• A File Type (extension) has the following
  properties
• Command property specifies the executable file
  that will be launched when the action is invoked
• Description property value appears in Windows
  Explorer
• Extensions property contains the file extension
• Separate multiple file extensions with a
  semicolon ()
• Icon property contains the associated icon

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File Types Editor
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Reading Command Line Arguments (1)

• The Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command function gets
  command line arguments
• Arguments are returned as a string
• Remove the quotation marks surrounding the
  string, if necessary
• pstrCommandArgs Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command()
• pstrCommandArgs pstrCommandArgs.Remove(0, 1)
• pstrCommandArgs pstrCommandArgs.Remove( _
• pstrCommandArgs.Length 1, 1)

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Reading Command Line Arguments (2)

• In C, we read command line arguments
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cb20e19t(v
  VS.80).aspx

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Custom Installer Dialog Boxes

• An installer consists of multiple dialog boxes
  filled out by the user
• The User Interface Editor is used to configure
  the dialog boxes when the user runs the installer
• Add existing predefined dialog boxes to the
  installer
• Configure the order in which those dialog boxes
  appear

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Default Dialog boxes

• By default, the User Interface Editor includes
  five dialog boxes
• Welcome dialog box displays a welcome message
• Installation Folder lets the user select the
  installation folder
• Confirm Installation is the final chance to
  continue or abort the installation
• Progress dialog box displays the relative
  completion
• Finished dialog box indicates that the
  installation is complete

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Custom Dialog Boxes (1)

• Three RadioButtons dialog boxes
• One contains 2 buttons, another 3, and another 4
• Three CheckBoxes dialog boxes display between 1
  and 4 check boxes
• Customer Information gets customer name and
  organization
• Three TextBoxes dialog boxes display between 1
  and 4 text boxes
• License Agreement dialog box displays a license
  agreement

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Custom Dialog Boxes (2)

• Read Me dialog box displays a multiline text box
  containing an informational message
• Register dialog box allows the user to register
  online
• Splash dialog box displays an introductory splash
  screen

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The User Interface Editor
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Adding a Dialog
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License Agreement Dialog Box

• License agreement is an RTF file
• RTF file containing the license file must be
  added to the Deployment project
• In the Properties window for the License
  agreement, select the project item containing the
  license file

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Checkboxes Dialog Box

• BannerBitmap contains the image appearing in the
  banner section
• BannerText contains the text appearing in the
  banner area
• CheckBox1Value indicates whether the checkbox is
  checked or not
• CheckBox1Visible indicates whether the check box
  is visible
• CheckBox1Property contains the name to be tested
  in a condition
• Additional properties of the same name but
  different number are used to set the remaining
  three check boxes

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Conditional Deployment (Introduction)

• There are two ways to conditionally deploy files
• In the Properties window of the File System
  Editor, deployable elements have a property named
  Condition
• Use it to build a condition. If the condition is
  true, the file or other element will be deployed
  to the target computer. If the condition is
  False, the file will not be deployed
• Launch conditions provide the means to test for
  the existence of a file for the installation to
  succeed
• Test for Internet Explorer or a particular
  operating system version, for example

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Creating a Launch Condition

• Launch Conditions test the following types of
  conditions before deployment can succeed
• Test whether a file or program exists and
  optionally, the version of that program
• Test the version of the operating system
• Test whether the .NET Framework is installed
• Test the amount of physical memory installed on
  the computer

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Launch Condition Properties

• MsiNetAssemblySupport Used to determine if .NET
  is installed on the target computer
• Version9X Used to determine if the OS version
  on the target is Windows 95, 98 or Windows ME
• VersionNT Used to determine if the OS version
  on the target is Windows NT, Windows 2000 or
  Windows XP
• PhysicalMemory returns the amount of physical
  memory installed in the target computer

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Launch Condition Editor
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File Launch Conditions

• FileName contains the name of a file that must be
  installed on the target computer
• MinDate and MaxDate control the minimum and
  maximum file dates
• Folder property controls where the installer
  searches for file names
• Depth project controls number of directory levels
  to search
• MinVersion and MaxVersion controls minimum and
  maximum version number for files

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Compiling the Installer

• Compile the same way as any project would be
  compiled
• Output files differ however
• .msi file contains the deployment files
• InstMsiA.exe and InstMsiW.exe read and process
  the .msi file
• Setup.Exe program runs the installer
• Setup.Ini file is read by the Setup.Exe program

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Testing the Installer

• There are Two ways to test the installer
• From inside of Visual Studio .NET
• Use to install or uninstall the software
• Run Setup.Exe directly
• The project will be installed just as the user
  will see it