OnceClick Deployment - Good Article. How to add data files.

VisualStudio 2005 and the Visual Studio Express editions have a nifty deployment option unlike the regular installer that creates MSI / Cab files. Publishing is made easy using OnceClick Smart Client Deployment. See the following article by Patrick Darragh. This article explains everything you need to know about it. The only thing I could not deduce easily was how to include data files as part of your deployment. Let's say for example your .Net application reads in some data from a .csv file. How would you include that as part of the package.

Including data files as part of the publishing options

Here is how:

1. In Solution Explorer right-click the root project element and select "Add new..." or "Add existing..." to add your data file.
2. Once added, right-click on the added file and select properties.
3. From "Build Action" select "Content"

That's it.
Publish will then include those files selected as "Content" in your deployment package. You may wish to put your data files in a folder and then run publish.

By Frank Neubecker