Compiling Programs

[Fat_N_Furry]

I just realized... This is embarrassing... I don't know how to compile programs in VB.NET! Someone please tell me!


Thanks in advance,
Furry

[Lunatic3]

I guess each time you 'start' (F5) your project, it's compiled and if you mean deployment of your project and building an installer for it here is the solution:
Go to File, Add Project and there 'add a new project'. From the dialog box select 'setup and deployment projects' and choose the way you want to deploy your project. Then it adds a new project. Play around with that and you will find the rest. Note that you should distribute DOTNETFX with your application. Look at MSDN, there are good articles about setup and deployment there.

[hellswraith]

Note that you should distribute DOTNETFX with your application. Look at MSDN, there are good articles about setup and deployment there.

No, you shouldn't distribute DOTNETFX with your app. Microsoft has given us a way, sure, but they always are saying you shouldn't need to do it. Tell your users to visit Windows Update to get the framework. Besides, you don't want to have to distribute a 15+MB file when you can distribute one that is a lot less.

[Lunatic3]

You must think of those who are not connected to internet at all or use low speed dial up connections that downloading a 20 MB file is a dream for them.

[PT Exorcist]

21 mb

[hellswraith]

Originally posted by Lunatic3
You must think of those who are not connected to internet at all or use low speed dial up connections that downloading a 20 MB file is a dream for them.

I understand that the big files for modem users are a pain, but that's life. They can download a 21MB file from MS, or they can download the 21+MB file from your site, it is still the same. Now if you are completely distributing your app through CD, then sure, go ahead and throw it in. But if they are going to download it anyway, why not from MS. Let MS look like the bad guys making them download the 21MB file.

Plus, if they are using Windows, they should be updating their OS anyway. There is a lot more than 21MB of files they have to download to keep their OS current besides the framework, should you include all those files also?

I do understand that sometimes you will need to include the framework with your app, but 90% of the time you shouldn't need to. The framework only takes about 1.5 hours to download on a 56K modem, it isn't going to kill them.

[Lunatic3]

You may be right, but most of the average users i know don't even know that they can update their windows over the internet and lots of other simple things....

[hellswraith]

Are you serious? 99.9% of the people I know know how to do this. Even the ones that barely know how to use computers. It is right there in the start menu, they would have had to see it at least once.

But let's say for arguements sake that half of your app's users don't know about windows update. When they download and use your app, they will get an error without the framework. What will they do? Turn to your site for help. They go back to your site, and you have as your very first FAQ how to update windows. There, you solved that problem.

Another thing you can do is put up a little message before they get to the link to download it that your app requires the .Net Framework. You link it to the windows update site, and bam, the users should automatically be told about the stuff they need to update.

If users are that nieve about windows update, how do you expect them to find, download, and install your app without any help?

[Lunatic3]

In this case yes, you are right and i agree with you, but do you think .NET technology is now widely applied? how many professional and non professional programs you know over the internet that are written in VB.NET?

[Fat_N_Furry]

Originally posted by Lunatic3
I guess each time you 'start' (F5) your project, it's compiled and if you mean deployment of your project and building an installer for it here is the solution:
Go to File, Add Project and there 'add a new project'. From the dialog box select 'setup and deployment projects' and choose the way you want to deploy your project. Then it adds a new project. Play around with that and you will find the rest. Note that you should distribute DOTNETFX with your application. Look at MSDN, there are good articles about setup and deployment there.

Thanks for the info. I found out where my (compiled) program resides now. About the Package and Deployment, I have another solution... INSTALLSHIELD!! WOOHOO!!!!! I LOVE it!

Originally posted by hellswraith
But if they are going to download it anyway, why not from MS. Let MS look like the bad guys making them download the 21MB file.

I would, but...

• The user might not find the file on Windowsupdate, even if I DO tell them where to go, (there's usually 1,000,000 other files that windows tells them to download...) and I ALWAYS act like my users are idiots, especially in a case similar to my dad's.
• It's more convenient to my users this way. I don't want to send them half way across the internet to find a file for my app when I can just include it in a download.

Anyway, thankyou all for all the information. Everyone was very helpful. You guys are going to LOVE this app. BTW - where should I post it?


Furry

[Slow_Learner]

By the way, you may have already figured this out but remember to switch build configurations to Release instead of Debug. While programs will still run if compiled in Debug mode (at least in my experience) they can be somewhat larger and aren't optimized for speed.

As far as distribution goes, a simple compromise is to just provide links to both a combined package of your app and the .NET redistributable, and a separate download of each.

Where to hang your app out for download: Try Tucows and C|Net, they seem to like freeware of any sort. If it's a specific utility you can try approaching websites for whatever venue.

[Lunatic3]

About using InstalShield to build an installer: I really have never tried Instalshiled and dont know how you gonna add the merge modules (in case you need them) and dependencies to your app using instalshield. I guess you can just add merge modules to your 'setup project' not the main project (correct me if I am wrong) and some have properties that should be set in design time. And more over some dependencies are not automatically detected and you should refer to the manuals to know about them, for example look in case of Crystal Reports and ADO. And if roll back is in consideration, does instalshield support it?

[Fat_N_Furry]

Originally posted by Slow_Learner
By the way, you may have already figured this out but remember to switch build configurations to Release instead of Debug. While programs will still run if compiled in Debug mode (at least in my experience) they can be somewhat larger and aren't optimized for speed.

I didn't know that about Debug vs. Release. Thanks!

Originally posted by Slow_Learner
As far as distribution goes, a simple compromise is to just provide links to both a combined package of your app and the .NET redistributable, and a separate download of each.

That's what I was planning on doing.

Originally posted by Slow_Learner
Where to hang your app out for download: Try Tucows and C|Net, they seem to like freeware of any sort. If it's a specific utility you can try approaching websites for whatever venue.

Actually, I was thinking of posting it somewhere here on the site because I made it to benefit *everyone* on this site. I was thinking of making 1 post in every forum, but that might piss off the mods...

Originally posted by Lunatic3
About using InstalShield to build an installer: I really have never tried Instalshiled and dont know how you gonna add the merge modules (in case you need them) and dependencies to your app using instalshield. I guess you can just add merge modules to your 'setup project' not the main project (correct me if I am wrong) and some have properties that should be set in design time. And more over some dependencies are not automatically detected and you should refer to the manuals to know about them, for example look in case of Crystal Reports and ADO. And if roll back is in consideration, does instalshield support it?

Everything taken care of, my brutha. It has THREE different scanners for dependencies and all that crap. I love InstallShield because it's such a beast! I don't know what you mean by rollback... Do you mean, if my users want to roll back my program to a previous version of it?

[Lunatic3]

From MSDN:
A rollback restores the computer to the state it was in before the installation occurred. The Rollback method is called if the Install method of this Installer instance or of any installer in the installer collection fails to run correctly.

[Fat_N_Furry]

Oh. One would THINK it would, but I'm not sure. I'll have to look around and test it for it.


Thanks, guys for your help!
Furry

[Pirate]

Ok , what version of OS support vb.net program ?
with my knowledge it's still supported(with few bugs ) .
Well , think about registry , root directory , dll files changes in NT,W2K , XP Vs. Me , 98,95 .!!!

[Slow_Learner]

Putting one post in each of the forums isn't something I can advise, you'll alienate a lot of people (not just mods) if you do that. Maybe one here and one in the General forum.

[Fat_N_Furry]

Yeah. It's too bad we don't have a 'check this out' forum or something like that. :|

I've taken the liberty of PMing all the mods, and asking about it. They haven't responded, yet, though. If they dont within a week, I'll just do what you said.

BTW -
Sorry for the late reply, I got banned from my computer for playing Renegade. Actually, I didn't get banned for PLAYING it, I got banned for being so stupid as to get caught. Now I have to keep my door open all the time.


Lata,
Furry