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31 Distribution
..Normally a programmer creates a
Single
setup
/
distribution
file which the user runs
To
install the application.
The setup file usually performs the following:
-
creates required folder
Structure
-
installs application EXE
-
installs applicaton
-
specific files (
Data
, help, ...)
-
create Registry entrites required by the application
-
installs the VB runtime files
-
installs any OCXs
/
DLLs that are
Not
a part of the runtime
Or
the system OS
In
addition
To
the EXE file that you create during compilation,
VB requires that some specific files be present
On
the PC before a
user can use the application.
VB Runtime Files
The intrinsic controls, functions,
And
other features of VB
are distributed across several files
-
called the VB runtime files.
These features are
Not
included
In
the compiled EXE.
The VB run
-
time files must be
On
a PC before it can run VB
programs.
If
a user has previously installed the VB run
-
time files, the files
Do
Not
have
To
be re
-
installed. However, the VB programmer
usually has
To
assume that the files are
Not
available,
And
include
them
In
his setup file.
The runtime files are:
msvbvm60.dll
stdole2.tlb
oleaut32.dll
olepro32.dll
comcat.dll
asycflt.dll
ctl3d32.dll
OCXs
Controls placed
In
an application, such
As
the RichTextBox
Or
the Treeview, exist
In
separate files. They are
Not
part of the VB
run
-
time files
And
must be included
In
the setup file.
Installation Tools
VB comes
With
it
's own Setup Wizard for creating the setup
file, but most folks find the tool
To
be of limited value. There
are other free tools
On
the market which
Do
a better job.
I highly recommend Inno Setup at http:
//
www.jrsoftware.org
/
isinfo.php
I have also use Install Creator
And
found it
To
be excellent http:
//
www.clickteam.com
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