How to build/publish an application?(Not a once click only kind)

Hello, this is a stupid question but how would I build/publish my application? I can't have it being once click application but it builds the .exe and stuff. I want it to act like it is installing but make an .exe file. Like for those who do not have like Visual Studio

You build your project using the Build menu. You publish your application using the Publish option on the Build menu.

To deploy an application built in VS, you can use XCOPY (simply copy the EXE), ClickOnce or InstallShield LE (depending on edition). You say that you can't use ClickOnce but do you have a good reason? Many who say that do not. InstallShield LE will create a Windows Installer Package. You can also use any of numerous third-party installer tools. There's also an extension available from Microsoft, although it's not yet at v1.0 for VS 2017.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com...tallerProjects

By the way, this question has nothing to do with VB.NET. This site has a forum dedicated to Application Deployment. I have asked the mods to move this thread there.

Oh, sorry about that. I'd click publish(i hit the create desktop shortcut) and when I hit setup it setsup it seems like but no exe

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Originally Posted by Dragnorian

Oh, sorry about that. I'd click publish(i hit the create desktop shortcut) and when I hit setup it setsup it seems like but no exe

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That makes it sound like you don't have a reason to not use ClickOnce but when you tried either you did something wrong or there is something that you are misunderstanding. When you publish, it will create an installer package. You run that package and it will install your app. If you tell it to create a desktop shortcut then it will create a desktop shortcut that you can click to run the app. If it's not working as you expect then please provide a FULL and CLEAR explanation of what you did, what happened and how that differed from your expectation. I'm afraid that:

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when I hit setup it setsup it seems like but no exe

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is far too vague.

Thread moved to the 'Application Deployment' forum, which is where questions about installing/distributing your software belong

You actually have a lot of choices.

ClickOnce is its own thing, I don't have a lot of experience with it. It seems pretty easy, but also seems like it assumes you have a permanent URL where you host some files for updates and things? I don't know. That I'm not talking about it doesn't mean it's bad, I just haven't ever really used it.

XCOPY deployment has been what I used the most, because I often write quick utilities or smaller programs. It doesn't sound like you want that, because it sounds like you want shortcuts to be made, for the file to go in Program Files, etc.

To that end, if you want to make an installer, you need to do something to generate an MSI file. These are essentially giant SQL databases that contain all of your files and a ton of information about how they should be installed. You can, in theory, build one by hand-editing tables. No one sane tries.

InstallShield is a product known for helping out with it, though the WiX toolkit is pretty nice. InstallShield costs money but you get a GUI. WiX is free but you have to learn to hand-edit some XML files to make your installer. It's easier, but by no means easy. I spent at least six months on an installers team and I still felt like a novice.

There's some other third-party products, too. I used InnoSetup a long time ago and found it pretty nice. It uses its own scripting language to create installers. It's kind of like WiX in that respect, but because WiX is closer to the format MSI uses InnoSetup is easier to learn. There are probably other third-party solutions, but I haven't made an installer in a long time.

The more complicated your program, the harder it is to find something that can make an installer.