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I've built a Winforms Application, and I want to publish it. I'd like to have a link on a website https://sites.google.com/site/satsavvyboardgame/home where I can have the user download the application and have it install on their computer. So far, I haven't found any way to wrap everything up in one package, or successfully publish to the web. What are the specifications for the URL to publish to the web? Is there any way to package everything into one item (the site won't allow me to upload/download folders), so that the user could download one item, then run that or something in it? Is there another way to do this that I haven't seen?

I'm using C# Visual Studio 2010 Express, and my application has the code and a couple of XML files that I need to run. All are part of the project, and run fine when I install from a file using the CD publish settings.

I've never published an application before, so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

David Legg
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    ClickOnce is designed for this, no? – ta.speot.is Feb 17 '13 at 06:56
  • i think you can refer to this post http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6085437/how-do-i-publish-a-windows-forms-application – dotmido Feb 17 '13 at 06:59
  • Indeed, as I understand it, it is. And I use ClickOnce, but I don't know how to use it in conjunction with a website. – David Legg Feb 17 '13 at 06:59
  • So, if I want to Zip my application into one thing so that I can upload it to the web, should I publish the file (through the wizard) as though I'm going to install from a CD (or one of the other options, web or UNC/fileshare)? – David Legg Feb 17 '13 at 07:05
  • well, look at this `MSDN` http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/31kztyey.aspx – dotmido Feb 17 '13 at 07:13
  • I used the CD setup, then zipped the "application files" folder, and added the application file to that zipped folder. The user has a little bit of work to do to get it downloaded and installed, but it works okay. Thanks for the link! Got me pointed in the right direction. – David Legg Feb 17 '13 at 07:18
  • Good - Glad that it helps – dotmido Feb 17 '13 at 07:21

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You have 2 general options:

  1. use "ClickOnce" which will enable automatic updates each time the user click to install and have several other benefits such as less problems with priviliges.

  2. Use "Windows-Installer", which allows you more control of how to do and what to do during the installtion phase. However, shamefully, Package & Deployment project types do not exist anymore in vs2012. there are several 3rd party packages you can work with to create your setup-project.

The ClickOnce is preferable if what the user download is a just a simple standalone game application for example.. the MSI is for the more "rich" applications that should make extensive usage in the machine registry and etc..

The table in this link will give you the data you need to make a decision: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/142dbbz4(v=vs.80).aspx

G.Y
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  • *However, shamefully, Package & Deployment project types do not exist anymore in vs2012* Replaced in favour of WiX, which is not hard to use and much more powerful. And there's still InstallShield LE. – ta.speot.is Feb 17 '13 at 22:17
  • It is still a shamefull decision, I like it better when everything I need exist in my VS.. same thing for Blend btw, why would I want an additional tool? why not letting me work with one solid IDE, it has no business reasonning and has no technical reasonning.. it kind of proves that the one who took that decision had no understanding of technical aspects or business aspects and unfortunatly it reflects to other poor decisions that were taken in the same logic or mis-logic.. windows8.. WPF dying.. DirectX not In VS.. Html5 not in Desktop apps.. lightswitch with no custom graphic.. and etc.. – G.Y Feb 18 '13 at 05:04
  • *I like it better when everything I need exist in my VS* Both WiX and InstallShield LE install themselves into VS. The latter might be a PITA to download and install, but WiX certainly isn't. Yes you have to do *something* extra but for me it ranks up there with having to download ReSharper when I install VS/there's an update. – ta.speot.is Feb 18 '13 at 05:22