Michael C. Kennedy's Weblog

ClickOnce is a great deployment model for many Windows applications built with the .NET Framework. Too bad it isn't supported for C++, VB 6, or other technologies. Or is it...

Surprisingly, you can deploy your unmanaged apps with ClickOnce. You just need a tiny .NET app to get it started.

Here's how it works:

1. Take your existing C++ project.
   
   
2. Add to the solution a .NET console application.
   
   
3. Change the project settings on the console application to "Windows Application".
   
   
4. Write the following code for your Main method of your .NET launcher application:
   

   static void Main(string[] args)
   {
       try
       {
           Process.Start( "TheRealApp.exe" );
       }
       catch ( Exception x )
       {
           string msg = "Error launch application:\n\n" + x;
           string cap = "Error Launching Application";
           MessageBox.Show( msg, cap, MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error );
       }
   }
   

5. Set the build path of your C++ app to be in the main folder for your .NET application.
   
   
6. Add the C++ app and its libraries (if any) as existing items in the .NET app.
   
   
7. Change the build action to "Always Copy" as shown here:
   
   
8. Then you publish your .NET application and when it runs, TADA!, the C++ app is deployed, versioned, and kept up to date as well.