vib2810/WinFormsAutoUpdate

A repository demonstrating the usage of ClickOnce to deploy auto update features to your Windows Forms Code for FREE (hosting on raw github).

WinFormsAutoUpdate

A repository demonstrating the usage of ClickOnce to deploy auto update features to your Windows Forms Code for FREE (hosting on raw github). Works for both .NET framework and .NET core.

A good article to follow: https://www.jeeshenlee.com/2020/10/how-to-host-clickonce-installer-on.html

Video Demonstration available here:

In the clickonce installer Follow the following steps:

1. If your project isn't on github, create a repository and push your code there. It has to be public.
2. On your computer, create a folder called 'published' in the root of your repository. Make sure this folder is not ignored in the .gitignore
3. Create a file called .gitattributes in this /published folder. Add the following contents

*.manifest binary
*.application binary
*.deploy binary
*  -text

4. How commit and push to the github repository. Navigate to this file in the repository click on the RAW button. Copy the URL address till '/publish/'. It will look like this
   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/{your-account-name}/{your-repo-name}/{branch}/published/
5. In the clickonce installer enter the following paths
   1. Publish Path: {repo-path}/pubhished
   2. Install Path: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/{your-account-name}/{your-repo-name}/{branch}/published/ This the the server address from where the setup will install your application from.
   3. Update Path: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/{your-account-name}/{your-repo-name}/{branch}/published/ This the the server address from where the setup will check for updates.
      NOTE: Use this link to navigate through the clickonce installer:
      https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/deployment/quickstart-deploy-using-clickonce-folder?view=vs-2022.
      Make sure the check the 'Create Desktop Shortcut' option before publishing. Now commit and push your code.
6. Now in the /published folder click on the setup to install the application. This will connect the the github servers to download and install the required files on your computer in the directory C:\Users\vib28\AppData\Local\Apps\2.0.
7. To publish an update for the application follow these steps
   1. Make the changes to your c# applicaiton.
   2. Publish the application again (to the same folder /published). The revision number should increase, and there should be a new folder added to the location /published/Application Files
   3. Commit and push your code to github. Now the raw files have been updated. So whenever the client runs his application, it will automatically prompt for downloading the update.