Visual Basic .Net Application Deployment - vb.net

Question

I have designed an Application tracking details and I have deployed it. The records are updating the way I need. I want the same application to be used in other three different systems which do not have MS Visual Studio. How can I do it ? Is it enough that I create a similar table in the path I have designed in the other systems and run the Application ?

Answer 1

The probably easiest way to deploy your project would be:
Copy & Paste the whole output from your bin folder to the other machine and make sure the .net framework you used for your application is installed on this machine.
You can also create a Setup and Deployment Project
Open the Solution of your application
File -> Add -> New Project...
Other Project Types -> Setup and Deployment -> Visual Studio Installer -> Setup Project
In the File System Tab right-click on "Application Folder" -> Add -> Project Output and Select "Primary output" from your application project.
(More details about adding files to your setup project: How to: Add Items to a Deployment Project)
If you want to use a copy of the access database on each machine
As you're using an access database. You can mark the include you're access database to your project and set Build Action (in the Property Page) to Content.
Now in the same manner as before rightclick on "Application Folder" and add project output. Only this time select "Content Files" instead of "Primary Output"
Build the setup project and distribute the setup.exe or the .msi file.
If you want to access the same database from each machine
I would advise to store the application on a server which runs independent of your machine so that others can access the database also when your machine is not running.
Change your connectionstring, so that users from other machines are able to connect have a look at this site if you need help with connectionstrings.
As you won't be able to connect to the database with the absolute filepath from other machines, create a fileshare where everyone who should be able to connect has permissions to read/write.
Build the setup project and distribute the setup.exe or the .msi file.
Hope this helps so far.

Answer 2

Why should there be VB language on the target computer? Once compiled(published) you are out of the language environment and the program is in the machine language. In order to publish you have to go to "Build" and "Publish" after opening the program in the language environment. Publish it to a flash drive instead of the C drive. You can do that by selecting the "Browse" option. Once done you can take the flash drive around and install it on most computers that have the .Net files installed. In my experience most windows opss have them.

Answer 3

Just create an Installer after you have written and debugged your program. Install it plus your database on the server computer. If you intend to share the database and its a file-server database such as Ms Access, you will have to make sure that the folder is a shared folder.
Go to all the other computers on the network and repeat your installation. Make a Mapped drive on each computer and configure your database string to point to the mapped drive. If your database a server one like SQL Server, you will need to configure your database access string to point to the Server like so:
\Syl-PC\SQLEXpress.MydatabaseName
I assume that you are familiar with the complete syntax for connecting to databases from Visual Basic using a database provider such as Ole db or the SQL Server Provider.