how can create specific folder when install setup file? - c#

I want to make setup for my project and i have one folder "Resource"
in this path ..\bin\Debug.now how can i make setup file ,that when
i install setup "Resource" folder with it's files become created in the
install folder ?
my database is sqlexpress for my database file what
should i do?it's folder is App_Data in ..\bin\Debug path.Thanks in Advance.

If you are going to be creating more than just this one setup I would recommend looking into the WiX Toolkit. It is an XML based toolkit that will let you create your MSI's with an amazing amount of customization. Placing the folders that you need where you need them is no problem at all. I think that might just be what you are looking for. Also the link that I included has a link to a really great tutorial that would help you get started.

Related

How to create folder in mvc solution directory so that it is included in project?

I am new in mvc and c# and I can't solve following problem:
I am trying to create a folder named "Items" in solution folder.
I have tryed to use CreateDirectory method:
Directory.CreateDirectory("~/Images");
But it didn't work for me - folder wasn't created ..
Partly working solution was to create a folder by :
Directory.CreateDirectory(Server.MapPath("~/Images"));
"Items" folder was created, but it is not included in the solution:
How to create folder in solution directory so that it is included in project ?
(I needs to by done by code not by hand)
You need to understand what solution and csproj file is used for
In general, they're being designed and used for development with Visual Studio, and once the project is compiled, all these files will be ignored and excluded from the deployment package
Directory.CreateDirectory(Server.MapPath("~/Images"));
The code above simply create the directory if not existed yet in the deployment package at run-time, so you won't see it in your solution unless you run the project locally (either debug/release mode, it does not matter here). However, everything will run normally in hosted environment (ex: IIS).
For your information, here's the brief of what solution and csproj is
solution (.sln) file: contains information to manage one or many individual projects, contains build environments (for each project), start up mode (useful when you want to start multiple projects in one run), project dependencies and so on. Take a note that VS also read from suo file (solution user options) which is used to defined user-custom preferences (you should not include the .suo file in the version control, because it's custom settings)
csproj file: define the structures of project, what the namespace is, what is static folders, embedded resources, references, packages, etc.
Lastly, if you create the folder manually, VS will auto include that folder into deployment package AND csproj, but depends on the file type, you might need to change the Build Action and Copy To Output Directory in file properties.
Hope it helps.
A deployed web application on a web server doesn't have any notion of Visual Studio solution or projects. So the Directory.CreateDirectory(Server.MapPath("~/Images")) is the correct way to create a folder inside your web application at runtime but we cannot be talking about including it into a solution because this hardly makes sense in a pre-compiled web application. If you create the directory on your local development machine, you could always manually include the folder to the corresponding .csproj file, but at runtime this will not make any difference whatsoever.
The reason I wanted to create a folder (if didn't exist) was to make sure it exits before I try to store image in it.
After reading posts here and a few google searches I have concluded that the proper way to handle image upload would be
To create (In my case) folder "Images" by hand to be sure it exists
Then storing uploaded img in existing folder:
string path =Server.MapPath("~/Images/"+ UploadedImageName);
file.SaveAs(path);

Share a file for C# project at home and at office

I have formed a number of source code files as my library. For example, I wrote LinqExtension.cs providing Median() function.
Now I'm working on a project which needs LinqExtension.cs. As usually, I link the file to the project. As introduced here. The reason that I link files rather than copying them is to keep the files at a single location. If I modify a file, all dependent projects get affected.
I also add the project to Subversion and upload to and download from Google Code. The linked file is not under version control.
I work on the project at home as well as at office. I hate copying the linked file to my office, which makes the file not single.
I figure out a solution that add <Compile Include="http://www.example.com/LinqExtension.cs"/> to csproj file so that the file only exists on the Internet. Once I upload a new verison of the file, all dependent projects get affected. Unfortunately the solution doesn't work.
Any other suggesions or better practice?
A better way would be to share your core library at the binary level, rather than at source code. You could set up a private Nuget repository to make this easier.
If it is absolutely necessary to share files, you can use pre-build actions in your project to copy the file from a common location, or even download them from google code. It's not clean, but if you don't want to use source control for it then I don't think you will find a clean way.
I like to keep a library folder of binaries in my Dropbox. That way Common libraries that I use can be accessed from my home and work project workspaces and the service keeps the version up to date.

Why does VS2010 allow for the concept of "include in project"?

I'm still learning the basics of how VS2010 sees the world. Apparently, you can optionally "include" a file in a project. I'm a bit confused by this: If a file is version-controlled, AND the file is within the project directory, shouldn't it implicitly be "included" in the project? If not, what's the use case where a version-controlled file in the project directory should NOT be included in the project?
=== Addition ===
Based on the answers I've gotten so far, maybe I should rephrased my question: What does it mean for a file to be "included" in a project?
A project needs to know about files in order for compilation and distribution to occur. Just because you have a file that's under source-control, doesn't mean that it will be compiled if the project is unaware of it.
Also, you may want to include files as part of a distribution package. We do this quite often for our web projects that we distribute using web app gallery.
Conversely, you could have documentation or sql scripts that you version control, but do not want them to be part of the project.
EDIT: In answer to your update, what it means for a file to be included in a project is that the file is actually added to the .csproj or .vbproj file and will be used during compilation and/or distribution. VS does differentiate if the file is Content or if it needs to Compile it. This can be seen by clicking on the file in Solution Explorer and looking at the Build Action property.
No, you don't want random files that happen to be in the project directory included in source control.
We do sometimes put documentation (pdfs) or drawings/schematics in the project folder and under version control but you don't need them inside the visual studio project (especially when they are not being distributed because they are for internal use only).
Excluding the file from your project can be useful if the file is related to the project but not necessarily needed in the solution.
Example
If I need some test XML for an application that i'm writing; that is designed to normally be pulling this from a WCF service, it can be useful to keep that file in the directory for a development environment where I use IO to get the XML for testing, but I don't necessarily want it in my solution which is source controlled.
When you exclude a file from a project is no longer compiled or embedded, then when you want to include it again you can do so without having lost your settings.
If you e.g. copy a file (containing a helpful class which want to have in your project) into a folder of your project, then you will see ... nothing. You have to check the option "Show all files" of the solution explorer and the copied file can be seen, but it is still "greyed out". No you can choose the menuitem Include in project and that file will be integrated in your project and a pending change (add) for your source control is added too. Visual Studio doesn't include all files it can find in the project folder automatically to the project - and that is a good feature.
One of my colleagues explained to me a scenario in which a version-controlled file should NOT be part of the project. Here's the idea:
A developer writes some new code.
The code is experimental, and not intended to be part of the normal build.
The easiest way to exclude the file from the build is to NOT include it in the project, but still version-control it.
This way, the file can be shared with other developers, but not break the build.

Visual Studio Installer: Copy File On Finish

i have a C# project, it's finished now and i need to make an installer for it.
I added the Setup and Deployment Project and listed all the needed prerequisites, now i just need to copy the database file when the installation finishes.
Just a simple "create a folder named /db/" (in the installation folder) and copy the db.mdf in it.
I'm googleing but i can't find anything i could use.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
Have you looked at the reference documentation: How to: Add and Remove Files in the File System Editor ?
This is typically how you can do it. You can also create folders in there, but note you can have some limitations (with .MSI, you are not supposed to create folder anywhere on the target's disk).

Deploying with a folder structure

Good day all,
I have written an application that i require to have a certain directory structure/. Nothing complex but it will need an "Images" Folder which contains two other folders "Temp" and "Complete".
These folders are in my solution however upon publishing all the folders are gone and i can not find any way in which to cause these certain folders to persist.
Will i have to write some code that checks if these exist and create them or can i make an application directory structure exist from the very beginning.
Dont know if this is relevant but i am using WPF and deploying through click-once.
Thanks,
Kohan
Regardless of whether you find a solution to the installation part of your question it would be prudent to check that the folders exist either on application start up or when you need to access them. After all, someone could come along and delete them without realising that they're needed. You might want to report or log this as an error, but recreate them anyway.
I assume you are using Visual Studio to create your ClickOnce deployments. If so, you can get around this issue by using MageUI instead.
Create your desired folder structure separate from you project's source code and bin folders. Copy in all the files you want deployed. Use MageUI and when you create the application manifest, point it to the root folder you created. It will take care of all the subfolders.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about what ChrisF said. ClickOnce files are deployed to a very obfuscated location that users should never be in. And if they are in there deleting stuff, you'll likely have much bigger problems that a missing subfolder.

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