In vb.net_2005, when publishing your app, how do you automatically include certain files with it?

Have you created an install project, or is your software being installed some other way?

All I'm doing is going to the 'Build' Menu and selecting 'Publish Project'.. It produces a setup.exe app and has some folders with libraries and such that it makes.. (Is that what an install project is?)

~Michael

Additionally I've got a application setting (I'd have to make it user) connection string which I may need to change depending on whether I'm running it in debug mode or it's a published app, but it should point to the db that I'm trying to include with the program.
I do know that if I go to `My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath' I can find the location of my program at run time, and if it included my db in this same folder it woudl be really quite easy.. But yeah, I just want to include my db with my program and know how to include other files too. Not resources tho. I know how to do images and stuff like that.

Thanks~Michael

Are you trying to use ClickOnce deployment so your ap can be used within your company over the network?

No, we plan to distribute it to people like they'd download the setup.exe file & folder it comes with. Not over the network tho. I've never used the ClickOnce deployment before. Umm.. I'm not really trying to install it over the web either really. I kinda just want a standalone we can give them however.
~Michael

Ok, then you want to add a setup project.
Click FILE-->ADD-->NEW PROJECT
click the plus sign next to OTHER PROJECT TYPES
click SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT
click SETUP PROJECT
name your setup file (say.. SETUP or something..) and click OK

right click your newly created setup project and click ADD-->PROJECT OUTPUT
select PRIMARY OUTPUT for now and click OK.

by the way, I HIGHLY recommend the book "Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Step by Step" by Michael Halvorson.   Very easy to read, but handy reference too.

What kind of database are you wanting to package with your software?

Thank you usarian.. this sounds like what I needed to know. On Monday when I get into work again, I'll check this out first thing. Have a great weekend! ~Michael

Wow ok, adding a setup project to this is /extremely/ complicated.. I have that book btw to by Michael Halverson and it doesn't discuss how to do this at all.
Mainly the problem I'm running into is it isn't intalling my application at all. I have no idea how to setup the folders, the Application Folder, the User's Desktop and the User's Program Menu, nor do I have any idea how to set any of the User Interface, Custom Actions, or Launch Conditions. Furthermore it refuses to let me include the SHDocVW library saying it's under windows file protection or something bizarre like that.
Michael

Hey Usarian, very good answers. Ok, I'm working through all this, but I think I have an idea what I'm doing now thanks to you. Pretty soon I'll get this compiled, and working the way I want, and I'll totally award you the points.. :)
~Michael

>>So what ind of database are you installing?
It's an access 2000 format db I'm pretty sure..

Huh, I do have the older book.. >> Another edition on Amazon has it in Chapter 2, p59.
Well that explains that :P