Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Extensions
Add-on components that enhance and customize the Visual Studio integrated development environment
Use "Publish Items" rather than "Primary Output". See here for more information.
Visual Studio Installer Project doesn't include my software exe
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Peter Shaw
41
Reputation points
Hi,
I wrote a C# windows desktop software. I added an installer for it. The problem is the Setup project only includes a dll of my software in its Primary output, it doesn't include my software exe.
My Visual Studio is Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 (64-bit) - Current Version 17.3.6.
Microsoft .Net Framework Version 4.8.09032
I add the setup project as the following steps: Right click on the Solution -> Add -> new project -> Search Setup -> Setup Wizard
Next
Fill a setup project name
Create
Setup Wizard
Next
Create a setup for a Windows application
Next
Select "Primary output from MyAppName"
Next
Next
Finish
Primary output properties:
sourcePath of KeyOutput is pointed to program folder\obj\Debug\net6.0-windows\myApp.dll
The main properties of my software project:
In the Application section:
Output type: Windows Application
Target framework: .Net 6.0
Target OS: Windows
Target OS version: 7.0
Enable Windows Forms for this project.
Assembly name: $(MSBuildProjectName) MySoftwareName
In the Build section:
Output:
Base output path: bin\
Base intermediate output path: obj\
Thank you for your help.
Developer technologies | Visual Studio | Extensions
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RLWA32 52,441 Reputation points2024-01-04T11:37:27.64+00:00 Visual Studio 2022 provides two choices for creating a new C# Windows Forms App (see image below). One will create a .Net Framework project and the other creates a .Net project. The .Net Framework project will create an .exe while the .Net project creates a dll and .Net provides an .exe to host the created dll.
So which type of project do you really want to create?
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Peter Shaw 41 Reputation points
2024-01-05T00:10:15.63+00:00 Hi, I don't remember I selected Windows form app or Windows form app (.Net Framework). But My project produces both exe and dll.
I think Publish Items is for the web application, rather than the windows desktop application.
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(246.4, 86%, 33%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDL%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
David Lowndes 2,750 Reputation points MVP2024-01-05T00:13:44.9566667+00:00 Publish Items is what you need - I needed to change my desktop product installer recently when I moved it from .NET FW to .NET 8.
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RLWA32 52,441 Reputation points
2024-01-05T00:30:32.21+00:00 @Peter Shaw, You created a .Net Windows Forms application project. That is why the primary output is a dll instead of an exe. Since the creation of a dll seemed to be contrary to your expectation I was only questioning whether you intended to use .Net instead of .Net Framework. :) @David Lowndes guidance on deployment using Publish Items instead of Primary Output is correct.
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Peter Shaw 41 Reputation points
2024-01-08T09:22:10.9233333+00:00 Thank you. I added Publish Items and it worked!
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