Deploying your ASNA Visual RPG® Windows Application for Microsoft Visual Studio 2005®

This document is specific to deploying Visual RPG 8.1 for Visual Studio 2005 Windows applications, not AVR for Visual Studio 2005 Web applications.  For information on deploying Web applications, please refer to "Deploying Web Applications".

Preparation

Currently, Visual RPG for Visual Studio 2005 Windows deployment is supported on Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 (Professional and Server), Windows Server 2003, and Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a operating systems.

There are four steps to prepare for when deploying.

1.       Create your application "setup".

2.       Install the Microsoft .NET framework.

3.       Install the AVR for Visual Studio 2005 Windows Distribution.

4.       Install your Windows application setup.

 

1. Application Setup

To make deployment of your application easier, you can have Visual Studio 2005 build the application setup for you.  Once your setup is complete, you are ready to follow steps 2 thru 4 to deploy your AVR for Visual Studio 2005 Windows application.

1.       In Visual Studio 2005, start a New Setup and Deployment Project:

2.       Be sure to select "Setup Project".  Enter the Project name and location. Click OK to create the deployment solution.  You will see the following screen.

3.       Add the project you wish to deploy.  Right-click on the Solution ‘setup’ in the Solution Explorer and select Add - Existing Project (as shown below). 

4.       Navigate to your application’s folder, and select the application's "vrproj" file – then click Open.

5.       The deployment solution will now reflect your project.

 

6.       Now add the output from your application by right clicking on the application folder in the File System tab as shown:

7.       In the “Add Project Output Group” dialog that appears, choose the ‘Built’ option from your project, and Click OK.   (Note: if there are no such options for your application, you have not “built”, or “compiled” your project.  You will have to “build” your application before you can proceed).

8.       Now you can add any other files that the end user will need in the necessary folder(s). 

For instance, if you have a DLL that needs to go into the System Folder, right-click on the File System on Target machine, click on Add Special Folder - - System Folder as shown.  An option titled “System Folder” will now appear as a deployment option.

Adding a DLL will also add any dependency files it may need.  Be sure to set the properties of any DLLs that need to be registered by the operating system.  Right-click on a DLL name and refer to the Register property to set this option.

Similarly, you can also add files and folders to the Common Files folder, Fonts folder, Program Files folder, System Folder, User Application Data Folder, Desktop, Favorites folder, Personal Data folder, and several other options. 

9.       Once you have all of your solution files correctly configured, click on Build - - Build Solution.