Starting the Package And Deployment WizardAfter you compile your application, you can distribute it by starting the Application Setup Wizard from the Windows Start menu. Locate the Start menu from which you normally start Visual Basic, but instead of starting Visual Basic, start the program named Package And Deployment Wizard to display the wizard's opening dialog box, shown in Figure 23.4. The Package And Deployment Wizard is likely going to be found in the Tools folder of the Visual Studio Start menu folder. Click the Browse button to select the Visual Basic project you want to distribute. The Package And Deployment Wizard offers you the following options:
For most applications you will be distributing for the immediate future, so you will select the Package button. After selecting a project, press the Package button to proceed with this tutorial. The Package And Deployment Wizard's opening dialog box. The Package And Deployment Wizard must know exactly which files to include with the installed set of disks. Even though the Setup Wizard installs your application's executable program, the Package And Deployment Wizard must search your application's project file (the application's project filename extension is .vbp, as you might recall) to get a list of all related files.
If the Visual Basic project you selected has not yet been compiled, the Package And Deployment Wizard will give you the chance to compile it before proceeding any further. You will then be asked to select a Package type for the distribution package. Choose to create a Standard Setup Package. When prompted, select the folder in which the distribution package will be assembled. The VB Package And Deployment Wizard will then analyze your application and determine which other files should be distributed with your application so that it executes properly. Until you are more familiar with what various files selected by the Package And Deployment Wizard for distribution do, leave all the selected files the same and proceed to the next dialog box. The Package And Deployment Wizard will prompt you for the distribution type with the dialog box shown in Figure 23.5. The Distribution Type dialog box tells the Package And Deployment Wizard how to build the setup program. The Single File option installs the setup routine to a single hard disk file, which you then could copy to a CD-ROM (if you have the appropriate hardware). The Multiple Files option is ideal for installing the setup files onto one or more floppy disks. Telling the Package And Deployment Wizard how you want the installation distributed. When the dialog box shown in Figure 23.6 appears, use it to give the installation program a title. It is a good idea to include your application's version number here along with the title. Give the installation program a title. The dialog box in Figure 23.7 is used to select a start menu group and an icon for your application. If you want, you can make modifications to the default values. Select a Start menu group and an icon. In the next dialog box, the Package And Deployment Wizard will give you the opportunity to modify the individual location of various individual files in the distribution package. After examining the default locations, proceed to the next dialog box. It is recommended that you do not change the default location (System32 folder) of shared DLL files. For most applications you will be building in the immediate future, you can leave same the default options of subsequent dialog boxes. Depending on various other capabilities of your applications (database access for example), you might see additional Package And Deployment Wizard dialog boxes. Finally, the Package And Deployment Wizard will give you the option of saving the settings you specified for this project in a script file. This will make things easier for you the next time you want to use the Package And Deployment Wizard to create a distribution file for a newer version of the same project. After specifying a script name, click the Finish button, and sit back and watch the Package And Deployment Wizard perform its magic. |
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