I have a DLL I need to deploy with my C# application. It's not currently included in the installation package when I hit "Publish" so how do I include it?
Would the process be any different if I had app.config and other files I wanted to deploy with my application?
If it's referenced it should be included automatically. I've deployed a couple of apps that require a 3rd party dll and they've published OK.
Is the dll referenced correctly in your project? That's the only thing I can think of at the moment that might be the problem, but if it wasn't your code wouldn't compile and/or link anyway.
To get the xls file to deploy all you need to do is add the file to the solution and then set the "Copy to Output Directory" property on the file.
I take it you are using Visual Studio?
If your using Visual Studio 2008 (I have no experience with Visual Studio 2005) under the Publish tab in your project properties click on the Application Files button. This will bring up a list of all dependencies assembalies required by your project. If you find that required dll is not being published by the Visual Studio publisher tool by default you can go into here and set the Publish Status of the offending dll to Include.
Sometimes in my more complicated projects, depending on the type of dependency, I have to go into this menu and force certain dll's to be included opposed to the default Prerequsite setting.
...but this is all under the assumption you have the assembly properly referenced in the required projects and everything is compiling fine.
Can't you add the dll as a resource to your installer project?
Related
I have created an application in C# and WPF. The application uses a DLL written in C++ language.
I have imported this DLL in my C# application using DLLImport function like
[DllImport("Project2013.dll")]
static extern void InitTasksDispatcher();
I have referenced the DLL by right clicking project-->Add-->Add Existing Item--> and gave the path of DLL and used it "Add as a link" option.
I have already ensured to set Build Action as "Content" and Copy to output directory parameter as "Copy Always".
Then I Change the mode to Release mode and build the whole solution. It succeeded.
Then I made setup using ClickOnce deployment and created the setup file.
Found that it is running well on a system having the visual studio professional 2013 but it failed on client system. It says System.DllNotFoundException and nothing else. I have made installed VC++ redistributable on client PC. Still, it causes problem.
I also copied the dll.deploy file on different locations like in Application Files folder and with setup file also. Still it does not work. Please help me out if anyone have faced the same before.
Have you tried specifically including it as part of the ClickOnce package? Go to Project properties -> Publish -> Application Files, locate the dll, and change the publish status to Include (not auto)
everyone, I am having a question or problem when building a setup project for an add-in (both are developed in c#). The add-in is used for a big software, and it needs a DLL from the software. If I just build the add-in and use it, it is fine. But if I install it using a setup project, the DLL provided by the software should also be copied to make the add-in work. But since if the client who uses the software, has already the DLL (coming along with the software), so I wanted to skip this DLL, so exclude it from the setup. But if I do so, I will get error 1001 when installing the add-in, saying at least one type from the assembly (the add-in) cannot be loaded. If I include everything (all the dependencies), it works.
So does anyone have idea about this? How can I skip the already available DLL that comes along with the software?
you can use web deployment project to build your application instead of the default publish in visual studio and before building it right click on the WDP and select Open Project File:
inside the .wdproj file search for item group <ItemGroup></ItemGroup> tag and add the following
<ExcludeFromBuild Include=”$(SourceWebPhysicalPath)\FolderName\**\*.*” />
I have a Visual Studio 2010 solution that contains 3 projects: a dll project, an executable project, and the Installer project.
I am working on the dll and the executable concurrently. The executable is simply a front end for the library. While developing the two in Visual Studio I simply added a reference to the dll project from within the executable and it works fine.
What I'm having trouble with is the deployment. Ideally the dll would be compiled and installed in a subdirectory of the executable. Using the "Visual Studio Installer - Setup Wizard" project template for my installer doesn't seem to be giving me the options I need.
Am I going about this wrong by developing my backend and frontend in different projects? What steps should I take to deploy the compiled dll along with the executable? I may be going about this all wrong, so please help me understand a better methodology if this seems backwards. For all the programming I learned in college, no one ever went over what I do when I actually want to deploy my software.
Since the DLL project is explicitly referenced from the EXE project, it is automatically copied in the EXE's build folder (i.e. bin\Debug or bin\Release) and is considered part of EXE project's "primary output". As a consequence, you only need to reference the EXE from your setup project.
The installed DLL will be in the same folder as EXE. Why would you want to install the DLL in a different folder on the user's machine if it is not there on the development machine? If you are loading it dynamically and using reflection, then don't reference it from EXE, but do reference it from the setup project, which then gives you the power to set whatever target folder you want.
This is what you need to do.
On your Solution create new Project > Other project Types > Click Setup and Deployment
On The Application Folder > right click > Then Add your front end Application > Build.
Check this
Regards
I have a C# project that I have created in Visual Studio Express 2010. This program uses a 3rd party C# class that relies on/calls a C++ dll. I just copied the filename.dll into the bin/debug and bin/release folders of the project folder, and the application ran fine.
I am under the assumption that I can copy the release executable for the project to another computer and run it as long as the filename.dll is in the same directory as the executable. However, trying this on another computer with correct frameworks installed, etc. the program crashes with a system.dllnotfoundexception.
Strangely, my friend reports that the program runs on his computer with Visual Studio installed, but not the one without, though I have not actually seen this.
What could be causing this? And how can I get the release executable to run on another machine?
Thanks for any replies!
-Chase
Make sure you have the Visual C++ runtime installed (VS2005,VS2008,VS2010).
If your c++ dll is build by visual studio it may depends on the CRT, two things to check here :
If it depends on the release or debug CRT. Microsoft don't give you the right to distribute the debug version except for debugging purposes so it could be a problem.
Witch version it depends on
The last version from vs2010 could be copied in the same directory as the executable (msvcp100.dll for c++ msvcr100.dll for C)
Previous versions needed to be installed as side-by-side assemblies so running their setup was mandatory (Some versions like the VS2005 one are included in framework install but others like the VS2005 SP1 one need to be installed separately)
In any case the best way to debug such problems is to install Dependency Walker (free) on the computer having problems and let it tell you what dll is missing.
The easiest (albeit maybe not the "best") solution to this problem is adding a Setup project to your solution. A setup project will help you find any dependencies, and make them available during install.
The steps you need to take are the following:
Add a Setup project to your solution (found in Add project.../Setup templates)
Right-click the project, choose "Add/Project output..." and add the startup project of your program.
Right-click the project and choose "View/Custom actions".
Right-click the root node, select "Add Custom Action..." and from "Application Folder" add "Primary output from [your project name here]".
Now when you compile, an .msi installer is created. Run this installer on the other computer, and your program will be installed and runnable. To uninstall, run the installer again, or remove the program from "Add/Remove programs" under Control panel.
I programmed an hour-sheet application and now I would like to publish it so people can install and run it.
I've tried the publish function of visual studio 2008 but this gives me a clickOnce application/installer that's really confusing, but it works when I run it, but when I export the installer to another pc it installs it crashes at the end of the install.
so I tried just coping the installed files but then the program crashes at startup.
Is there a simple way to compile the application to a simple standalone executable or maybe containing a separate folder containing the resources (images/classes)?
You can copy the executable from bin\Release and it should work.
If it uses any DLLs that are not part of the .Net framework itself, you'll also need to copy those. (Set Copy Local to true in the properties for each reference)
If it uses any other files, you'll need to copy them to the right place or embed them in the EXE or a DLL.
I would add Setup Project to your solution which will create a setup.exe.
Here's some of the links:
http://www.dreamincode.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=58021
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235317.aspx
This will make sure that the dlls and assemblies are deployed to appropriate place when you install your software. It will also make sure that it gets rids of files when you uninstall it.
you can find your .exe here Projectpath\bin\Debug you have to give .config file too