Distributing files of a clickonce application

Question

I did deploy a clickonce application, uploaded the files successfully to the server. I select to check for updates before the application is open.

What I didn't understand well is which files must I distribuite to end-user and to clickonce do its job must I run the .application or steup.exe (from app.publish folder) or my application executable like I would do usually?

it generate a .application and a folder called app.publish within the release dir. Within app.publish there are some files, among them a copy of my application executable (but not the dependent files, like the dlls and such), .application and setup.exe. What is each file for?

Answer 1

Here is list of files and folders:

• Setup.exe: It is the installer of your application. If you double click on it, it installs the application. It needs YourProgramName.application and Application Files to install the application.

• YourProgramName.application: It is the application manifest file that contains information about the application that is deployed using ClickOnce. If you double click on it, if you have installed application, runs the application and if you have not installed the application, gets setup.exe and installs the application and then run it.

• Application Files: Contains files of different versions of application to deploy. Setup.exe needs these files to install the application. All of your application files located under sub folders of Application Files with .deploy file extension.

• Publish.html: This file is created if you publish for web and contains launch and install link in page. Lunch is a link to application manifest file and Install is a link to setup.exe.

• Prerequisite Installers: You may also have some other folders like dotnetfx45 or reportviewer or other prerequisite isntallers.

Here is the result of a publish on file system:

To run or install the application, click on Sample.UI.application.