So I currently have a script that works just fine with one problem. Whenever I publish it as a ClickOnce application, it has to be installed on the users computer before it can be used, and the the files I have specified to run if the user provides a valid login are showing up in the local APPDATA files.
I feel like there has to be a better way to publish my application. I want the 4 files ( a .swf that will run with flash, a bat file to run those, and a .vbs script that runs the bat file in the background so it doesn't pop up) to be included in the project, but to be written into the resulting binary files, not in their original form so the source is freely available.
Anyone have a suggestion?
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Honestly, I don't fully understand my question, but hopefully I can still be fairly clear about it.
I just wrote a simple project in Objective-C/Xcode. It looks like Xcode generated an executable in a folder called "Debug" and when I double-click on it, it opens a terminal window and runs fine. However, while running, it reads from a text file in the same directory that it's in. So if I want move the executable to a different location, I also have to move the text file to the same location or it won't be able to find the text file.
My question is... when I download an application on my computer (like Google Chrome or Evernote), it comes as its own file and I can place it in any directory I like; there are no associated files I have to move whenever I move the "executable". Is there a way to generate a clean application like this using Xcode?
I'm trying to create an updater for my app in VB.NET, No, I do not want to use clickonce, it sucks because I have to deal with managing self signed certs etc.
I know the code to check for new update files:
http://pastebin.com/ZjYBWABu
I also know the code for specifying where those files download to, the issue is I dont want to just download 1 .exe...I want to download all the latest build files which I would have uploaded to my server, which i would have taken from my Bin\release folder of my project.
Then when the updater downloads the files to a directory, it would go to the directory of the application, and somehow overwrite/replace all the files that have changed...maybe by using a hash or something?
I do not know how to proceed with this. What I do know is this.
The updater and the main app would have to be separate so that the updater could do the replacing while the app is closed so it doesn't get file in use errors. After the updater app has finished it would then start up the main app from the new exe.
Would appreciate help here thank you guys.
I am currently working on a project for which I have to implement a similar approach for updates. The project is lengthy, it would take some time to finish. But this is how I have planned to apply the updates:
There will be two main parts of the application Launcher (main application program) and Updater (To download files from server and replace them with the new ones and then launch the new file)
The application will have the option to manually check for update and also to check for update on startup.
If an update is available, it asks the user to apply the update now or later.
If the user selects to apply the update now then Updater application is executed in a separate process and then Launcher application is closed from within the code in Launcher. I have following approaches in my mind to launch another program from within first one and then exit:
Execute the Updater directly from within the Launcher using Process.Start
If that causes problem then as second approach launch command prompt from Process.Start, execute another program (Updater) from command prompt, close the command prompt and then exit the Launcher.
The Updater application then downloads all the relevant files from the server and upon completion old application files are replaced with the new ones.
Update availability information from server will include the new Version_No of application. For the purpose of providing all files for update, I will compress (zip) all of them in a single file named as Application.Version_No (as given by the server).
Upon download completion decompress (unzip) them to a folder named as the same Application.Version_No.
After decompressing all the files in this (Application.Version_No) folder will be copied to the Bin folder of application.
The new application Launcher file is executed in a separate process and Updater application is closed from within the code in Updater.
I have NOT yet tried this scenario as currently my focus is on completing the main application, but surely this must work.
UPDATE:
Another approach to check for updates is to use a bootstrap like application startup. It will be the main entry point of the program. Upon execution it will check for the updates and if there is none the Launcher is executed otherwise it will download the files, replace the old ones and then execute the new / updated Launcher.
For copying / overriding the files
One approach is to include only those files in the compressed (zip) file which are required to be replaced with the old ones and then after the download completes, either directly decompress them to the Bin folder or decompress them to a designated folder and then copy all of them to the Bin folder.
As another approach which seems somewhat lengthy, an additional helper file (XML, text or any other format) could be prepared for the download.
This helper file contains information of updated files like version number of each file, location where these are to be copied etc.
The files may be downloaded to a specific folder named as the new application version.
After downloading all the required files to a specific folder process each file mentioned in the helper file. Compare version of every old file with the new downloaded file. If it is latest then replace it in the folder mentioned in the helper file.
As another step in between all the downloads may be verified prior to copying and replacing.
Built an updater that ships with a daemon. Main project here:
https://github.com/UVLabs/dotNetUpdatify
There should be a way to eliminate the use of the daemon, if i figure it out i will update.
ok so i made a couple of projects in VB2010 and i want to finally make them a standalone executable , as i'm still a beginner in VB ! i don't know if getting the .exe file only from "bin/debug" or i should really publish it then need the applications folder and the setup [because it's gonna be a lot better if i don't have to do the second one], anyways i tried to get the exe file then move the project folder to another drive , and it work , i know that to run the exe in other computer i'll need framework , [as far as i know my resource files are embedded into the exe] but if i need framework only , i guess runing it on computers that doesn't have it will ask them to download it ! i don't mind that , or that option comes with publish ,and i also really need the manifest file to run it normally ,
I actually don't know much about this so can you pleas tell me what i exactly need so my .exe files can run on other computers
sorry for taking some of your time , and thank you for reading this :D
Set your Solution Configurations to Release, build a solution (Ctrl+Shift+B) then navigate to your bin/Release folder and there you will find your exe file ready to be shipped. You can ship that exe as is, or you can wrapp it up in an installer application. If your application has some dependencies then shipping the exe file will not be enough.
You can change your target framework by goin' to Project/Properties.
Find the .exe in \\Your app\bin\debug\your app.exe
What you can do,open the project as if going to edit it, just go to "Project" then "Publish(Whatever-your-work's-name-is).vb at the bottom. Then use the wizard to finish. At the end, say you saved your exe on the desktop, three files will appear.
"Whatever-your-work's-name-is".exe And its icon shape varies.
A folder called "Application Files"
And a "setup.exe" Its icon a like a CD on something.
For the first time, click on setup.exe and open the app. From then on, the "Whatever-your-work's-name-is".exe will open normally. I have a website where I publish these things for fun, "tgamer.myfreesites.net", and downloading will only download all three in a zipped folder. The website is not awesome, but it's alright.
The thing is, the setup.exe and application files can be in a zipped file. You only the actual exe from the second opening and onward. This option makes it downloadable, like what I want. For you, choose the best for you, but remember downloading only the exe will not work.
I have a project that need to run in a pen drive, the content is updated daily, and i need a automated way to generate a single file (.exe) to be downloaded by users.
I use this tool https://github.com/mllrsohn/node-webkit-builder, but when build for windows, the build generate multiple files ( dlls, dat ,exe ).
This break my automation because the content need to be downloaded (single file).
Any help?
As far as I know, it can't. You could try making a 7zip SFX archive and running your own program instead of an installer.
This needs to create temporal files when run (which are deleted when the program quits) and I don't think you can remove the initial prompt. If you're okay with that, it might be what you need.
Edit: You can get the necessary SFX modules here.
I am writing an application in VB.NET. In the app, I have a function which calls a Powershell script and places the resulting information in a text box.
I have two issues:
How to I ensure that when my app is published, the powershell script is included?
How do I reference the script in my code?
Currently, I simply give my function the full path to the script, which is in a folder on my Desktop. Obviously, this will not work once I deploy the app to other computers.
You will need to create a Setup project to get your script in place on your target system.
A first step is to change the Build Action to Content and Copy to Output Directory to Copy always.
Your Setup project can pick up the script from the VB app build result and put it in place when installing your app.
As for your question concerning the user configurable install path: The easiest way to handle this would be to add registry entry containing the selected program file path and have your app read the path from there.