Deployment

We have a new project in Visual Studio 2005 specifically for building cab files. It's far more powerful than the old "Build Cab File" option.

1) Add a new project to your solution, and look under Other Project Types > Setup and Deployment > Smart Device CAB Project.
2) Right click on the Application Folder, select Add > Project Output
3) In the resulting dialog pick your main project and "Primary Output" and say ok
4) Right click on the cab project in solution explorer and select build

There's a lot of power in the odd-looking UI for the cab project. Right click on various folders and windows to see what's available. Also don't forget to go to the View > Editor > Registry to add registry entries.

Note that the cab will not automatically build when you do an F5 or Build All from the build menu. You can edit your solution configuration to turn it on for builds if you want. Otherwise, just right click on it in solution explorer whenever you want a new build of the cab.

Hope this helps,

Neil

NeilEnnsMSFT at 2007-9-9 >

To get a shortcut:

1. In the left pane of the install UI in VS right click and add a special folder to Start Menu (if it isn't already there).
2. Right click on the folder and pick Add Shortcut
3. Point the shortcut to the project output from your main project (this way if you ever change your .exe name it will automatically update the cab)
4. You can also right click on the shortcut and rename it to something useful for your user

To fire off the install via WinCE App Manager you have to write a little .ini file and register your installer with ActiveSync. This isn't supported from within the VS Cab tool, although you can create a desktop setup project I think to do it for you. The .ini format is described at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mobilesdk5/html/wce51conRegisteringWithApplicationManager.asp and information on how to register is at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/mobilesdk5/html/wce51conRegisteringWithApplicationManager.asp.

Neil

NeilEnnsMSFT at 2007-9-9 >