How to creat exe file from my application on runtime

[SuperNeo]

Hello everybody. I have a problem about how to creat exe file from my application on runtime. That is:
I have a program A, I want A can dynamic creat a program B on runtime. B have been custom by some parameter that user input to A.
How can I do this? Who can teach me? Thanks!!!

[SuperNeo]

anybody can help me?

[Andy]

you don't mean simply copy an exe from locatin x to the end user's hard-drive, do you? or do you mean actually spit out a newly compiled app? the latter wouldn't be possible since the programs you create in vb are not compilers. They're just desktop applications.

[brown monkey]

this?

option strict on
imports system
imports system.io
imports system.diagnostics
imports system.windows.forms
public class example
   inherits form
   
   withevents b1 as new button()
   withevents b2 as new button()
   dim f as string="example"
   sub new()
      ' button
      b1.text="compile"
      b1.setbounds(10,10,75,23)
      b2.text="run"
      b2.setbounds(10,38,75,23)
      
      addhandler b1.click, addressof b1_click
      addhandler b2.click, addressof b2_click
      me.controls.addrange(new control(){b1,b2})   
   end sub
   
   sub b1_click(sender as object,e as eventargs)
      process.start("vbc",f & ".vb /r:system.dll,system.windows.forms.dll")
      console.writeline("compiling...")
   end sub
   
   sub b2_click(sender as object,e as eventargs)
      process.start(f)
      console.writeline("running..")
   end sub
 
   shared sub main()
      application.run(new example())
   end sub
end class

[Cander]

Originally posted by Andy
you don't mean simply copy an exe from locatin x to the end user's hard-drive, do you? or do you mean actually spit out a newly compiled app? the latter wouldn't be possible since the programs you create in vb are not compilers. They're just desktop applications.

Actually, .NET comes with classes that access the compiler that let you compile to IL.

Ive never worked with it before though, but I know its doable. And probably not that difficult.

[Andy]

really? i would have never known that. thats interesting. what are some situations where you might need to compile as an end user?

[Cander]

Maybe you want to write your own IDE and add compiling features to it. Or you want to add scritping type features to your app, but instead of creating your own language and uncompiled at that, you could let the user write full blown VB.NET or C# and your app can compile it at run time.

Just use your imagination.

[Andy]

for lack of better words: nifty! lol

[SuperNeo]

Thank you everybody!!! I get it.

[hellswraith]

We have a guy at work that is creating a class, compiling it to a dll, then loading that dll in its own app domain running it using reflection, then unloading the dll after he is done.

This is so very much possible.