Is there a .NET equivalent of Java Web Start?

Question

Is there a .NET equivalent of Java Web Start?

I want a one-click, from the web, lightweight install for a group of .NET assemblies and resources. Hopefully, the link would continue to keep the user updated with the latest version, similar to what Java Web Start does.

The application is written in F#, for what it's worth.

Answer 1

I think you're talking about ClickOnce Deployment

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t71a733d(VS.80).aspx

Answer 2

Microsoft's ClickOnce

Answer 3

The webpage you referenced says that ClickOnce is available for C# and VB.NET.

Is this ClickOnce a plugin that I can install into VS 2008 with the #F CTP plugin? Or do I need to buy a license for C#?

It's not clear from the pages I read, but it looks like I need to buy a copy of C# for Visual Studio. :(

Answer 4

Aha, you can publish a .NET application using the msbuild.exe that ships with the .NET framework (not with Visual Studio). You can do it all from the command line with the free tools.

Documentation on publishing from the command line with msbuild is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165431(VS.80).aspx

Instructions for creating the proper ClickOnce manifest and certificates is here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xc3tc5xx(VS.80).aspx