How to add a file to a clickonce deployment?

How to add a file to a clickonce deployment?

• Vinay Kittur

  Jim is correct how a file should be added to your ClickOnce deployment.  I just wanted to add that the file's 'Build Action' must be set to 'Content' before it will show up on the Application Files Dialog.
  
  Here is a good resource: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/kzy0fky2.
  
  Regards,
  Elizabeth Maher
  
  

• nanci ruhl

  Hi Elizabeth,
  
  I can follow how to set up all the application files to include them as content.
  
  However, what I still need to learn / understand is how to reference these content files from within my application.  i.e. how to create the relative paths for all these files.  Are there other resources / tutorials on how to reference project content
  
  Couple more questions:
  a) I presume this will work for any type of file (I need to include text, graphics and additional EXEs (which will called by my application)
  
  b) Do I need to use the same method to include the application's database
  
  c) Is the above different to using project resources  
  
  MRW
  
  

• khani

  So if you have files that are marked as datafiles, then instead of using a relative path, you use the data directory
  
  

  Dim instance As ApplicationDeployment Dim value As String value = instance.DataDirectory

  
  
  so in my example above, i'd use instance.DataDirectory & "file.xml"
  
  
  Is there a thorough complex deployment example available anywhere
  
  -Jim
  
  

• Todd Hobdey

  You can add a file to the deployment by adding the file to your project in VS.  Once you do that, you can click on the file in the solution explorer and then change the build action to content.  Then the file will show up in the Application File list in the publish tab.  Under 'Publish Status' change the default to 'Include'.
  
  If there is a better way to do this, I'd like to know, but this certainly worked for me in a project with about 50 data files.  I figured it out through trial and error, but i was unable to find any documentation to support it.
  
  As far as needing to know the path of the file, add code to the project that will write a key to the registry upon execution of your main exe.  You should know the relative path between the two, so this should work out for you.
  
  Jim
  
  

• Rafael Sancho

  a) Yes.
  b) Almost.  The Build Action property should be set to Content.  However, if you want the ability to upgrade the application database (which I assume is a local database file) then the Publish Status of the file needs to be set to Data File.  The Publish Status of a file may be set on the Application Files dialog, found of the Publish Property Page.  If you don't care about the ability to upgrade your data, then setting the Publish Status of the file to Include will also work.
  c) If you are using an .mdf file for your application data store, then everything will 'just work'.  You will have to upgrade the application database, if needed.  Previous version of the database are put into the DataDirectory\.pre folder while the new database is put in the DataDirectory.  Here is a link describing the DataDirectory: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.deployment.application.applicationdeployment.datadirectory.aspx
  If you are using an xml file, then the data will have to be read in using code, as Jim showed.
  
  Regards,
  Elizabeth Maher
  
  
  

• Flavious

  Project Database Deployment< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

  My comments from the previous post referred to an .mdf that is included in the project.  If your database is external, then nothing about the datastore applies.  The connection string used during development will still apply when the application is published.

   

  Application.StartupPath versus DataDirectory

  No, these do not point to the same place.  Use DataDirectory for any files with a Publish Status of ‘Data File’ in the Application Files Dialog.  Use Application.StartupPath for files with the Publish Status of ‘Include’ in the Application Files Dialog.

   

  INCLUDE statements required

  My guess is Jim is referring to database files included in the project.

   

  Relative paths (at design time)

  I don’t know how to get the relative path PictureBox.ImageLocation to work at design time.  I would suggest posting your question to the Windows Forms Designer Forum (http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx ForumID=5&SiteID=1).  When I set the ImageLocation property to Graphics\MyImage.jpg, everything worked during runtime.

   

  If you are just trying to set the image of a picture box in a way that it can be seen at design and runtime, I suggest using the Image property.  You can import a picture and it will be saved in the resources for the form.

  
  
  

• BarendJ

  One more question:
  
  I tried including my external database and two exe files in the Application Files Dialog.
  
  When I did a "publish" these did not get copied to the target publish folder.
  
  Will Application Files only get copied as part of the publish process if they are specifically referred in the code by a my.resources statement
  
  I can get the file for the types supported working no problem.   Its just the .exe and the external .mdb I am having trouble with.

  
  
  

• Ermac

  Just when I thought I was gaining some understanding :-)
  
  Lots more questions then:
  
  a) Project database deployment.  Yes, I am using a .mdf, but its external to my project and does not appear to get included in the ClickOnce deployment.  I am not using it for application/config data per se, its the main database for the solution.
  
  "If you are using an .mdf file for your application data store, then everything will 'just work'." Does only apply for a database that included in the project or being used for application/set-up data
  
  "You will have to upgrade the application database, if needed."  Not sure what you mean here.
  
  "Previous version of the database are put into the DataDirectory\.pre folder while the new database is put in the DataDirectory."  Are you referring to a situation where the database in automatically updated via the ClickOne method   I don't think I need this.  All I want is the ability to deploy the initial, empty database.  Once deployed it will then take on a life of its own as it becomes full of data specific to the deployment. 
  
  b) Application.StartupPath versus DataDirectory.  Do these not point to the same place   Which one is preferable
  
  i.e. Use StartupPath for referencing text, xml, graphics etc
       Use DataDirectory for referencing the database location  
  
  c) INCLUDE statements required
  "Yes, just have them included in the top level of your project"  Jim, do you imply that I also need to add some type of "INCLUDE" statement to establish the link to these files in my application
  
  c)  Relative paths (at design time).  I notice from the example above that you are using "\" in the relative path definition.  I was under the impression that relative paths need a "/"   (Or is this only for HTML )
  
  I can not get relative paths to work when using them even in a very simple manner.  See below an extract from another post I have running concurrently with this one.  Trying to get a .jpg to be the default ImageLocation for a pictureBox.
  
  Using the Solution Explorer I have added a folder to my project.  So I have MyProject\Graphics
  
  I have then added the graphics file to this folder and set its properties to "copy always".  
  
  So I have Myproject\Graphics\MyImage.jpg
  
  Then I have a included a picturebox1 on my windows form in the design view.
  
  So, I go to the properties and want to add in the relative path to MyImage.jpg.
  
  I have tried setting ImageLocation property to:
   
  /Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  ../Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  ./Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  MyProject/Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  /MyProject/Graphics/MyImage.jpg
  etc etc
  
  None of the above appear to work.  (I have also tried the backslash options as well)
  
  What am I doing wrong   Can someone point out how I should be setting up relatives paths is Visual Basic please
  
  
  Thanks for all the help thus far.
  
  
  PS. Note that the

  Dim Value As String

  does not display properly in the example above.   Includes a HREF for some reason....
  
  PPS.  Yes, more detailed deployment examples would be appreciated.
  
  
  
  

• Jason Beheler

  You can always use Application.StartupPath for determining the initial location of the program.  I tend to use that in conjunction with a registry key that contains the path the the executable.  My main application uses application.startuppath and any dll's use the registry key, or it is passes in in the constructor. 
  
  a) Yes, just have them included in the top level of your project
  
  b) Yes
  
  c) I'm not sure what you mean
  
  The following is how i read data out of a .xml file:
  
  

  Imports System.io Private Shared m_StandardData As DataSet Public Shared ReadOnly Property StandardData() As DataSet    Get       If m_StandardData Is Nothing Then          m_StandardData = New DataSet          m_StandardData.ReadXml(Application.StartupPath & "\Data\Standards.xml")       End If       Return m_StandardData    End Get End Property

  
  

• Ross William Nelson

  Publishing from Visual Studio will only handle files that are included in your project.  Application Files do not have to be referred to by the My.Resources.
  
  If the file is not part of your project, you have two options.
  1. Add the file to your project using Add -> Existing Item off the context menu for the project node in the Solution Explorer.
  2. Add a "link" to the external file.  (Warning: this will make your project less portable.)  Add the following xml to your project file.
    <ItemGroup>
      <Content Include="..\OutsideTextFile1.txt" />
    </ItemGroup>
  
  For a files you described to be pubished:
  1. The files must be included in the main project.  
  2. The Build Action must be set to Content
  3. The Publish Status must be set to 'Include' or 'Data File'
  
  If this information does not help you, could you post your project file so I can help you trouble shoot.  I just need the two sections: 1) the section that describes the files and references in the project 2) the section that describes the publish files.
  
  Best Regards,
  Elizabeth Maher
  
  

• Blu_Fire739

  Yes. 
  
  If using vb, the code would look like:
  

  Dim pathToXmlFile As String If My.Application.IsNetworkDeployed Then    pathToXmlFile = IO.Path.Combine(My.Application.Deployment.DataDirectory, "file.xml") Else     pathToXmlFile = IO.Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, "file.xml") End If

  
  If using C#, the code would look like:
  

  string pathToXmlFile; if (System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationDeployment.IsNetworkDeployed){     pathToXmlFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(System.Deployment.Application.ApplicationDeployment.CurrentDeployment.DataDirectory, "file.xml"); }else{     pathToXmlFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath, "file.xml"); }

  
  
  
• How to add a file to a clickonce deployment?