Deploying Applications with Visual Studio 'NET Adam Semel Microsoft Support Professional Windows Ins

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Deploying Applications with Visual Studio
.NETAdam SemelMicrosoft Support
ProfessionalWindows InstallerMicrosoft
Corporation
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Objectives

• Make your new applications available to end users
• Deploy your solutions from the development
  environment
• Discuss the new features in Microsoft Visual
  Studio .NET that allow you to package and deploy
  your solution to the production environment

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Agenda

• Setup project types
• Creating Windows Installerbased projects
• Creating CAB projects
• Deploying the Microsoft .NET Framework

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Visual Studio .NET Setup Project Types

• Standard setup projects
• Web setup projects
• Merge module projects
• CAB projects

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Standard Setup Projects

• Compiled into a Windows Installer installation
  file (.msi)
• Install and manage client applications, Windows
  Service applications, and business logic objects
• Simple user interface installation program
• Integrate with Add/Remove Programs
• Robust setup routine

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Standard Setup Projects (2)

• Capabilities
• Make changes to the registry
• Create file associations
• Install assemblies into the Global Assembly Cache
  (GAC)
• Register assemblies for COM Interop
• Run custom tasks in the final stage of
  installation
• Check hardware and prerequisite software before
  installation

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Web Setup Projects

• Packaging and deploying Web-based solutions
• Same functions and capabilities as a standard
  setup project, except it installs to a virtual
  root folder on a Web server

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Merge Modules and CAB Projects

• Merge module projects
• Compiled into a Windows Installer merge module
  file (.msm)
• Package components, not complete applications
• Used in .msi files to make sure correct
  installation of components
• CAB projects
• Package Microsoft ActiveX controls to be
  downloaded from a Web server

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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsAdd Project
Output Groups

• Add project output groups instead of individual
  files
• Permits Visual Studio .NET to easily detect
  dependencies

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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsDesign the
User Interface

• Use the User Interface Editor to design the user
  interface
• Specify the predefined user interface dialog boxes

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Design
the User Interface
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage
Files and Folders

• Use the File System Editor to manage files and
  folders
• Add project outputs and files
• Add custom folders and special folders
• Specify locations where files will be installed
• Create shortcuts

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Manage
Files and Folders
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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (3)Manage
Files and Folders
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage
Registry Settings

• Use Registry Editor to manage registry settings
• Add keys below any top-level key

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Manage
Registry Settings
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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (3)Manage
Registry Settings
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage File
Associations

• Use the File Types Editor to manage file
  associations
• Establish file associations
• Specify actions permitted for each file type

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Manage
File Associations
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage
Dependencies

• Dependencies are automatically detected and added
  to the project for
• Project output groups
• Assemblies
• Merge modules
• Dependencies may not be detected for
• Unmanaged components
• COM components added directly

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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsDeploy
Shared Assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache

• Add the assembly to the Global Assembly Cache
  (GAC) folder in the File System Editor
• Global Assembly Cache folder
• No settable properties
• Cannot create shortcuts to folder or assemblies
  in the folder

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Deploy
Shared Assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsInclude
Custom Actions

• Use the Custom Actions Editor to include customer
  actions
• Custom actions can be DLL, EXE, script, or
  assembly
• Can add multiple custom actions

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Include
Custom Actions
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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (3)Include
Custom Actions
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage
Conditional Deployment Launch Conditions

• Use the Launch Conditions Editor to manage
  conditional deployment
• Stop installation if a condition is not met
• Can be used to verify the
• Operating system version
• Existence of
• Files or registry keys
• .NET Framework

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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsManage
Conditional Deployment Condition Properties

• Set the Condition property
• Can be used on files, folders, registry entries,
  and custom actions
• Example Install file only on Windows 2000 or
  later
• VersionNTgt500

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Manage
Conditional Deployment Condition Properties
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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (3)Manage
Conditional Deployment Condition Properties
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsCreate
Localized Installations

• Create a separate setup for each localized
  version
• Set the Localization property of the project in
  the Properties window
• Determines the language for default text in the
  user interface
• Run the installation to see the translated text

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Create
Localized Installations
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsSetting
Deployment Project Properties

• AddRemoveProgramsIcon - Icon to be displayed in
  the Add/Remove Programs dialog box
• Author - Name of the author of an application or
  component
• Description - Free-form description for an
  installer
• Subject - Additional information describing an
  application or component

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Setting
Deployment Project Properties

• SupportPhone - Phone number for support
  information for an application or component
• SupportUrl - URL for a Web site containing
  support information for an application or
  component
• Title - Title of an installer
• Version - Version number of an installer

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (3)Setting
Deployment Project Properties
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsPackaging
Your Files

• Single setup file - Distribute one file (.msi)
  that contains all of the files needed for
  installation
• Uncompressed files - All of the files are put in
  the same directory (and subdirectories) as the
  .msi file
• CAB files - Packaged in one or more CAB files in
  the same directory as the .msi file

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects
(2)Packaging Your Files
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Creating Setup and Web Setup ProjectsMake Sure
Windows Installer 2.0 Is Installed

• Windows bootstrapping application
• Setup looks for and installs (if required)
  Windows Installer 2.0 before installing your
  application
• Web bootstrapping application
• Same as Windows bootstrapping application, except
  you make it available for download from a Web
  server instead of with your .msi file
• Use the Settings option to specify Web location

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Creating Setup and Web Setup Projects (2)Make
Sure Windows Installer 2.0 Is Installed
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Creating Merge Module ProjectsUsing the Module
Retargetable Folder

• By default, files are installed to folder
  locations specified by the setup developer
• Put files in the Module Retargetable folder to
  permit developers to retarget your files to a
  different location
• When the merge module is added to a deployment
  project, the author can set the Module
  Retargetable Folder property
• Set the DefaultLocation property to provide a
  default location

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Creating Merge Module Projects (2)Using the
Module Retargetable Folder
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Creating Merge Module ProjectsMerge Module
Project Properties

• ModuleSignature
• Specifies a unique identifier for the merge
  module
• Name of the merge module followed by a GUID
• Must be unique for each released version
• Never manually edit the GUID
• Use the GUID generation facilities in the Module
  Signature dialog box

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Creating Merge Module Projects (2)Merge Module
Project Properties
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Creating Merge Module ProjectsBuild Options

• Output file name
• Compression
• Authenticode signature

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Creating CAB Projects

• Properties permit you to specify a level of
  compression and implement Authenticode signing
• Friendly name - Public name for a CAB file in a
  CAB project
• Version - Version number a CAB file
• Web dependencies - URL, friendly name, and
  version of other CAB files that must be installed

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Deploy the .NET Framework

• Windows Formsbased applications
• Requires the .NET Framework to be installed on
  the client computer
• Web-based applications
• If your GUI is only browser-based, and does not
  include .NET managed controls, you do not have to
  distribute the .NET Framework to your client
  computers
• Web servers
• If you use managed code or the .NET Framework
  class libraries in your server-side code, then
  install the .NET Framework

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Deploying the .NET Framework (2)

• Warning when building setup project
• Options for installing the framework
• Manually from Microsoft.com
• Automatically using Setup.exe sample (see MSDN
  help topic Redistributing the .NET Framework)

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Troubleshooting Visual Studio .NET Deployment
Projects

• A Knowledge Base article is being written that
  will help resolve problems with unrecoverable
  build errors.

(This slide will be updated with the actual
article number and a link when the article
becomes available.)
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Additional Resources

• Deploying .NET Applications
• http//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url
  /library/en-us/dnbda/html/DALGRoadmap.asp
• Unrecoverable build errors Knowledge Base
  article in progress
• Redistributing the .NET Frameworkhttp//msdn.mi
  crosoft.com/library/default.asp?url/library/en-us
  /dnnetdep/html/redistdeploy.asp

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