Include a Folder in ClickOnce Application

Question

I've created a Windows C# project and made it as ClickOnce Application(Publish feature in Project properties) for Installation. I want to Include a folder which has Crystal Report (rpt) files in it. In my application I have given path of rpt file as my Installation location. How can I include this folder while publish. So that I need not copy the folder manually.

Answer 1

So Tom has explained how to add a file. You specifically say you would like to add a folder to your ClickOnce application once you publish it. Lets assume you have a folder sitting in the root of your solution named Dependencies which contains a folder Reports which contains all of your RPT files. Here is how you would make sure your deployed app contains all of the contents of the Dependencies folder:

1. Right click your project in Visual Studio and select "unload project".

2. Right click and select to edit the csproj file.

3. Before the closing </Project> tag add this:

   <ItemGroup>
<Content Include="$(SolutionDir)Dependencies\**\*">
<Link>%(RecursiveDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)</Link>
<Visible>false</Visible>
</Content>
</ItemGroup>
   

4. That will add everything from the Dependencies folder into the project. We are using the \**\* syntax at the end of the Include and %(RecursiveDir) to ensure the Reports folder will be present in the published version as well as the report files. Having set <Visible>false</Visible> you won't see the items cluttering up the solution explorer.

Answer 2

You have to add the items to the project and mark them as 'Content' (select the item in solution explorer, right click, properties, set Build Action).