Packaging CAB Files
The first step toward deploying the project is to first package the application into a Cabinet (CAB) file. The CAB file can then be deployed to devices, where it is then expanded and installed. A CAB file is an executable archive file that contains your application, dependencies such as DLLs, resources, Help files, and any other files you want to include in it.
In this step not only will I create the CAB file for the application, but I will also configure it so that a shortcut is created on the user's Start menu when they install the application. Add a new project to your current solution by going to
File(Add Project…. In the Project Types column, expand the
Other Project Types node and select
Setup and Deployment. Select the
Smart Device CAB Project template. Name the project
C:\SmartDeviceCab1 and click OK.
In Solution Explorer, click the
SmartDeviceCab1 project and set the
ProductName property to
MySampleApp (see
Figure 2). This will be the name of the folder that is created on the Pocket PC when you install the application.
Right-click on
SmartDeviceCab1 in Solution Explorer and select
Properties. Set the output file name to
Debug\SampleApp.cab (see
Figure 3). This will be the name and location of the CAB file.
The next step would be to configure how the CAB file will install on the target device when it is deployed onto the user's Pocket PC. For my example, I will create a shortcut on the user's Pocket PC Start Menu so that users can directly launch the application from the Start Menu.
In the File System pane, right-click
Application Folder and select
Add—>Project Output…. In the Add Project Output Group window, select
Primary output and click OK.
Right-click on
Primary output from SampleApp(Active) and select
Create Shortcut to Primary output from SampleApp (Active) (see
Figure 4). The Primary Output refers to the application that will be expanded from the SampleApp.cab cabinet file and here we are creating a shortcut to point to the application.
Rename the default shortcut "SampleApp v1." This will be the shortcut that you will display on the Start menu of the end user devices (you will create the shortcut in the next step).
In the current window, right click on
File System on Target Machine and select Add Special Folder—>Start Menu Folder (see
Figure 5). This will allow us to put the shortcut we created earlier into the Start Menu folder on the target Pocket PC. If a Start menu already exists on the device simply skip to the next step.
The icon for the SampleAppv1 shortcut should be visible from the current window. Drag and drop it onto the
Start Menu Folder. The
Start Menu Folder should now look like
Figure 6. This will cause a shortcut to be created on the user's Pocket PC Start Menu when the application is installed.
The next step is to generate the CAB file. To do that, go to
Build—>Build SmartDeviceCab1 to build the CAB file project.
The CAB file is, in itself, an installer, but only end users with above-average computer savvy will know what to do with it. The next step is to actually make a Windows-style application installer that better mimics the typical experience installing applications on PCs.
Source:
http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/31198/0/page/2
You don't need to goto the next step in the walkthrough unless you want to create a windows installer.
NOTE: These instructions are for Visual Studio. You can get the Express version for free here:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/
Thanks to Unknown Zone for digging up this article.