Deploying VB.NET app to run from CD

[Guest NeillKD]

After a many-year hiatus from programming I have found the need to create a program for a customer. I am making a marketing-type CD, with demo video, PDF's of specs and manuals, etc. and need a shell program to allow a user to access whatever they need on the CD. I picked up VB.net, sure that I would be able to quickly create what I needed, in spite of the years that have passed. Maybe it isn't going to be that easy...

 

The key problem is, I don't want to INSTALL anything on the user's PC - I just want to run the executable from the CD. From what I understand right now, this isn't possible with VB.NET. It appears that I must at least load the .NET Framework for my VB application to run on my potential customer's computer.

 

I don't want to force my customer to load the .NET framework in order to view my advertising. Is there a solution using VB.NET? I have seen many "shell creation" packages around, maybe one of those would be better. Any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Neill

[reboot]

Use c/c++

[Guest NeillKD]

How about C#?

[reboot]

c# also requires the .Net framework.

[divil]

Not C#. Nothing requiring runtimes that may not be on the users system.

 

You should be able to use VB5, if you don't have to support Windows 95 (hell, even Microsoft doesn't anymore) since you can be sure the VB runtimes will be included. VB6 runtimes were shipped with Windows 98 Second Edition.

[Guest NeillKD]

Dang! And I've had a hard enough time learning VB! I'm spoiled by Visual Studio already...

[reboot]

If you want to use .Net, unmanaged c++ doesn't require the .Net framework. I think.

[Anis]

All Products developed in Visual Studio .NET requires .NET Frame work. .NET Framework is supported from Windows 98 and above, but recommended at Windows 2000 and above.

[reboot]

Anis, with the exception I noted above.

[Guest NeillKD]

Thanks for the help. Perhaps I'll try to get started in C++ instead. Long ago I did a lot of Basic and assembly work. I found VB.Net fairly easy to get dangerous with. I've always thought that C++ would be a more difficult language to learn, but have never tried. Your comments?