Hi,
Ive been using the format 1, installer for my visual basic application i have created. With no luck 
Im wonding if its possible to package a visual basic application for installation on a poratble device (created in VB 2010) If anyone's done this before or has any idea how to, help would be much appreciated.
It does need the prerequisites (hope thats the spelling) .net framework 4 and the vb powerpacks, but im hoping thats not a problem. would really love to have a portable version of my software.
Thanks,
Matthew.
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Yeah, it should be possible. Could you please post the log error you getting? Or have you even tried it yet?
As long as the app is in PAF format, it'll work.
Your apps will ONLY be able to be used "portably" on other machines if they have the prerequisites installed already, in this case .NET 4 and VB Powerpacks. If they aren't installed on the host machine, you won't be able to use the app. This is why we currently don't portablize VB apps because of the .NET dependency.
-Gizmokid2005
thank you very much for the post,
yeah i guess thats pretty true, that aside is it still possible to create a portably used visual basic app? with the way publishing works in vb etc> i can't see clearly how to do it.
ive also just read this about a second ago,
"Please note that PortableApps.com does not currently accept .NET-based apps for inclusion in our application listings. Most PCs "in the wild" do not have .NET available, so portable apps that require .NET will not function on them."
so is that why the installer didn't work correctly? im very new to creating portable but have a few vb projects im coding currently i would be interested in making portable - minus .net frame work of course
ok errors im getting are
ERROR: No help.html
ERROR: AppInfo.ini - Control - Start is missing.
so i guess for the first one i need to write a help.html file... the second im unsure of.
Do i need to write a AppInfo.ini? if so what do i place in the dependeces area? is that like . net4 etc... ive just re-read the spec's think i understand it a bit more now.
thanks agian
WE used a specialized installer here known as NSIS, which you have to build yourself from code. Windows installer are meant to install to program files, etc. puts things in the registry, and may in some cases install prerequisites, so it will fail.
And you cannot put the dependencies with the program, they must be installed into the system, which is why most shy away from VB.NET or any .NET in that case
"Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about Rock'n'Roll." -Shigeru Miyamoto
You need to make sure your app is in PortableApps.com Format first, then use the installer. You're missing basic stuff like the appinfo details, which are required by the spec. Read this through:
https://portableapps.com/development/portableapps.com_format
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
ahh thanks again for the help,
thats great, i think i must have all the right files created now as the installer runs all the way through and i can install it to my USB, only problem now is when i click to open it in the portable apps menu nothing happeneds...
probally just me, probally very simple error; hopfully can get this sorted, would really like to move into turning my applications portable.
if we can't get MS to release a very simple update to install .net on all computers, then once ive learned the art of portablisation just is to move into more portable coding languages.
You must specify the right exe in your Appinfo.ini.
Example (... is the name of your Prog):
Folder layout is like this: Inside the main Folder (normally calles ...Portable), there are a help.html, three folders (App, Data, Other) and an exe called ...Portable.exe. This exe's name has to be in the Appinfo.ini so the menu knows what exe to launch.
I think thats why it doesnt launch when you click it in the menu.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
ok have done this now,thank you but its still problematic
ive moved all the files to the right places, like the folder that has all the application files in etc. Now when i now click the setup file, (ive renamed it app.exe but makes no difference before and afters) its saying that the application is missing some files, ive checked its not, only moved into different folders for the portable format spec's... so its a real strange one.
Ive been studing and cross studing the other apps file structured and .ini trying to find my error, hopfully can find something thats different to change soon
thanks ever so much for all your time and help, lets hope can soon get this up and running
development=> format
here you can see how it has to be
Thanks, ive been pretty busy over the last few days; should be able to have another good look at this over the weekend though.
i think, after studing the other apps and all the great help here, i must be very close.
WIll post if i continue to have problems or if i create it sucesfull probally sunday night.