Setup program for apps created with Visual C# Express

[kyrathaba]

Does anyone know of a setup utility that can create deployment packages for applications created using Visual C# 2005 Express Edition?  The express editions of Microsoft's programming IDEs are nice, and feature-packed (especially considering the cost), but they don't (at least, VC# doesn't) contain a Setup and Deployment project type.  I'm looking for a freeware tool that can detect whether a target computer has .NET 2.0 installed and can, with permission, install it if it is found to be absent.  I have used Inno Setup Builder successfully in the past for simple projects, but as far as I know, it doesn't include this functionality to detect whether or not .NET 2.0 is already installed. 

[mouser]

it doesn't include this functionality to detect whether or not .NET 2.0 is already installed

i use inno myself and i would love to know a good answer for this as well, to detect presence of net2 and help user download and install it if not.

[hamradio]

Inno Setup can include this functionality *if* you know how to do it.  There is a .NET 1.1 example of how a person did one for what he needed at http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/dotnetinstallerforinno.asp. 

My 2 cents is that I know you want to make it easy and all that, but my opinion is you could tell the perspective users they may need to install .net 2.0 before they are able to run your app and tell them where to find out if they have .net 2.0 and if they dont have it point them to microsofts web site where the download is.
As if you bundled it with it, then it would take more bandwidth than needed as not everyone might need 2.0. You could also offer two versions one with it bundled with it for users who doesnt after going thru the checks you state and another that is just the program.  Thats just my 2 cents on it.

[tinjaw]

What doesn MSDN say about this?

[Ruffnekk]

I use SharpDevelop for it. I don't really fancy the IDE itself, but it does offer a Setup Project type. You can open your C# solution created with C# Express and add the Setup Project in SharpDevelop!

Website: http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Default.aspx

P.S.: You cannot completely edit the setup project from the C# IDE. SharpDevelop uses a different format, but it is very flexible and it does create an .MSI Windows Installer file.

[kyrathaba]

Interesting.  I'll have to do some testing with SharpDevelop.  And, hamradio, I agree with you about offering two versions for download, one for user who already have .NET 2.0 installed, one for if they don't.  I'll also check out the www.codeproject.com link.  Thanks for the links, hamradio and Ruffnekk.

[kyrathaba]

Mouser, the Framework also includes the following namespace, which might be worth investigating:

System.Configuration.Install

[kyrathaba]

I found this article which relates directly to the discussion on this thread:

http://www.installshield.com/news/newsletter/0403-articles/installer.asp

[hollowlife1987]

I have a NSIS function to detect if .net 2.0 is installed or not.
I'll post the code tomorrow when I find it.

[kyrathaba]

I would very much appreciate that, hollowlife1987.

I've read that ClickOnce application deployment automatically checks if the client machine needs the Framework.  Anyone familiar with ClickOnce?  I think the Express edition IDEs offer it, but I'm not at home so I can't check at the moment.  But doesn't that sort of deployment have to be hosted on a server?

While reading about this topic, I continue to get the impression that as time progresses, it will become less and less likely that a setup will need to install the Framework on a target machine.  Vista ships with the framework installed, and I imagine future versions of Windows will as well.

[app103]

While reading about this topic, I continue to get the impression that as time progresses, it will become less and less likely that a setup will need to install the Framework on a target machine.  Vista ships with the framework installed, and I imagine future versions of Windows will as well.

Not true. Doesn't Vista ship with 2.0 framework? What about when you start developing things that need 3.0 framework?

This may continue to be a need otherwise you will end up with the same horrors many VB developers had with missing runtime files.

[hollowlife1987]

Ok, this script is taken from SDL dot net runtime installer it has the code to detect if .net 2.0 is installed or not.

[kyrathaba]

Thanks, hollowlife.

Setup projects in Visual Studio .NET 2003 can be used to install the .NET Framework with your application, but only if you have installed the optional Visual Studio .NET Framework Bootstrapper Plug-in on your development computer.  This plug-in apparently does not work with the Express edition IDEs, however, so again one would need to investigate the ability to script such detection/installation of .NET Framework, using a tool like Inno or NSIS.