Windows Setup and Deployment
Abstract: In this article, I am going to explain setup and deployment procedure in windows project by using visual studio.
To demonstrate this article I took small
Merlin.acs [
.acs=Agent character structured storage file] COM Component and teddy Bear Database Manips in my Windows Project. Finally I will give total roundtrip for Setting up and deployment of windows Project. I divided this article into two Parts.
PART-1) In this part, I explained total development procedure in windows and C# by utilizing COM Components and Database Manipulations Using msaccess.
PART-2) In Second part, I totally focused on Set Up and Deployment Procedure by using PART-1 developed Code and Their dependencies.
PART-1: Developing Windows Application Using C#
Here I developed three windows forms one is MDI FORM (ParentForm.cs)-which is always visible until user explicitly Quits, Second One Is Login Form (Form1.cs) with Merlin COM Component-which checks weather the user exits or not and finally third form (ParentForm.cs) loads after Successful Login Credentials entered by the user-which displays some data from the database.
Assume that, just this is a Case study for our deployment activity like a small Mickey Mouse Type of Project to understand the article effectively.
To do this project -Open Visual Studio-File-New-Project-Visual C#-Windows Application-Name as your choice.
ParentForm.cs[Design]
1) Choose any Background Image According To your Choice and assign property
IsMDIContainer=true
2) Place One Picture BOX for Login Image-assign property
cursor=hand to picture box, One Label to Display today's Date and Time and Place one Button to Exit the Application.
3) Finally, the out put Screen looks as the follows
ParentForm.cs[Code]:private void pictureBox2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Creatinf New Instance to open Another Form
frmlogin F = new frmlogin();
F.Show();
}
private void ParentForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Displaying Curent Date And Time
label3.Text = System.DateTime.Now.ToString();
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//To Quit The Application
Application.Exit();
}
Form1.cs(Login-Design)
Choose any Background as your Choice and Place Label assign Property
Text= Windows Setup and Deployement and
Font size=14.25
Design login Form By placing two text boxes , two Labels ,two buttons and one GroupBox as Shown below
3) Place Merlin COM Component
Open Tool Box->Right Click On It->select Add Tab->Type tab Name as
Merlin Component->Right Click on the tab and Click on
Choose Items -> Choose Tool Box Opens ->In That Dialog Box Select
COM Component.-> In That Components List Select
Microsoft Agent Control 2.0-> Click
OK->Finally our toolbox customized as Follows
Drag and Drop MicrosoftAgent Control On To The Form
Open
C:\WINDOWS\msagent\chars -> Copy
merlin.acs component and Paste it into our application root as
Bin\Debug folder,why because it is easy to identify that component path in programatical fasion using
Application.StartUpPath.ToString() Method.
6) Write Code In Form_Load as Follows
private void frmlogin_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Geting Merlin Path Programatically Using String
string merlinPath = Application.StartupPath.ToString() + "\\merlin.acs";
//Loading Merlin Charecter Using Load Method
axAgent1.Characters.Load("Merlin", merlinPath);
//In Order To Store Merlin Use Show() Method
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Show(null);
//At First It Displays at the Left top Corner of The Screen
//So I Moved 270,270 Pixels Backword and DownWord From Top and Left Posistions of The Screen
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].MoveTo(270, 270, null);
/* Some Of Animations I Remembered -Search Google For More Animations*/
/*Acknowledge, Blink ,Congratulate ,DoMagic2 ,Explain,Greet ,
Hearing_1,Idle1_1,LookUp ,MoveUp,Pleased ,Read ,Sad ,Think,Uncertain,Wave*/
//Just I Used Merlin Animation Charecter
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Read");
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Announce");
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Speak("Third Annual Celebrations-www.dotnetfunda.com", null);
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("DoMagic1");
}
7) If The Form Is Loaded The Following Character Displays First by Showing Some Animation Tricks
Now its is Time To Design Database-
Open Ms access->Create Database Name as "myDataBase" and Save it into our application root as
Bin\Debug folder,why because it is easy to identify that component path in programmatic fashion using
Application.StartUpPath.ToString() Method.
Design Simple Login Table and Enter Data as Follows
Table Design:
Table Data:
11) Import Oledb Namespace and Mention The OledbConnection() Provider In Global Declarations
using System.Data.OleDb;
OleDbConnection strcon = new OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=myDataBase.mdb");
12) Write Code Under login Button and Cancel Button As Follows
private void btnlogin_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Search");
string uname = txtuserName.Text;
OleDbDataAdapter da = new OleDbDataAdapter("select username,password from login where username='" + txtuserName.Text + "' and password='" + txtpassword.Text + "' ", strcon);
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
da.Fill(ds);
/* Do-Some Actions If User Is Authenticated*/
if (ds.Tables[0].Rows.Count > 0)
{
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Read");
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Announce");
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Speak("Welcome:: " + uname, null);
this.Hide();
MainForm mf = new MainForm();
mf.Show();
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Hide(null);
}
else
{
/* Do-Some Actions If User Is Anonymus*/
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Play("Announce");
axAgent1.Characters["Merlin"].Speak("Sorry You are Not Authorised User:: " + uname, null);
}
}
private void btncancel_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
txtpassword.Text = "";
txtuserName.Text = "";
}Finally The Form Looks As Follows
After Succesful Login it displays
MainForm.cs
MainForm.cs
Place One DataGridview and LinkLabel (assign
Property
Text=Logout )On The Form
Design Table and Fill Some Data As Follows
3) Filll The Data As Follows
Write Code as Follows In Global Declarations and Form_Load Event as Well As LinkLabel_Click Event and Import Oledb Namespace
//Import Namespace
using System.Data.OleDb;
//Blobal Declarations
OleDbConnection strcon = new OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=myDataBase.mdb");
//Form_Load
private void MainForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
OleDbDataAdapter da = new OleDbDataAdapter("select * from dept", strcon);
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
da.Fill(ds);
dataGridView1.DataSource = ds.Tables[0];
}
//Under Logout Button
private void linkLabel1_LinkClicked(object sender, LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs e)
{
this.Hide();
} 5) Finally The Screen Looks as Follows
6) Please Make Sure That Place Project Code In A separate Folder
[MyFolderName="MerlinSetUpProject"]