Edit Exe Manifest
MageUI.exe supports the same functionality as the command-line tool Mage.exe, but with a Windows-based user interface (UI). With this tool you can create, edit, and sign deployment and application manifests. New manifests that are created with MageUI.exe target the.NET Framework 4 Client Profile. Resource Editor: How To Add Application Manifest. An Application Manifest is an XML file that describes the dependencies that an application uses. The wizard-generated manifest file allows developers to mark their applications with a requested execution level, and defines which of the Windows common control DLLs the application should use.
-->The Manifest Generation and Editing Tool (Mage.exe) is a command-line tool that supports the creation and editing of application and deployment manifests. As a command-line tool, Mage.exe can be run from both batch scripts and other Windows-based applications, including ASP.NET applications.
You can also use MageUI.exe, a graphical application, instead of Mage.exe. For more information, see MageUI.exe (Manifest Generation and Editing Tool, Graphical Client).
This tool is automatically installed with Visual Studio. To run the tool, use Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio. For more information, see Command Prompts.
Two versions of Mage.exe and MageUI.exe are included with Visual Studio. To see version information, run MageUI.exe, select Help, and select About. This documentation describes version 4.0.x.x of Mage.exe and MageUI.exe.
Syntax
Parameters
The following table shows the commands supported by Mage.exe. For more information about the options supported by these commands, see New and Update command options and Sign command options.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| -cc, ClearApplicationCache | Clears the downloaded application cache of all online-only applications. |
| -n, -NewfileType [newOptions] | Creates a new file of the given type. Valid types are: - Deployment: Creates a new deployment manifest.- Application: Creates a new application manifest.If you do not specify any additional parameters with this command, it will create a file of the appropriate type, with appropriate default tags and attribute values. Use the -ToFile option (see in the following table) to specify the file name and path of the new file. Use the -FromDirectory option (see in the following table) to create an application manifest with all of the assemblies for an application added to the <dependency> section of the manifest. |
| -u, -Update[filePath] [updateOptions] | Makes one or more changes to a manifest file. You do not have to specify the type of file that you are editing. Mage.exe will examine the file by using a set of heuristics and determine whether it is a deployment manifest or an application manifest. If you have already signed a file with a certificate, -Update will remove the key signature block. This is because the key signature contains a hash of the file, and modifying the file renders the hash invalid. Use the -ToFile option (see in the following table) to specify a new file name and path instead of overwriting the existing file. |
-s, -Sign[signOptions] | Uses a key pair or X509 certificate to sign a file. Signatures are inserted as XML elements inside of the files. You must be connected to the Internet when signing a manifest that specifies a -TimestampUri value. |
| -ver, -Verify[manifest-filename] | Verifies that the manifest is signed correctly. Cannot be combined with other commands. Available in .NET Framework 4.7 and later versions. |
| -h, -?, -Help[verbose] | Describes all of the available commands and their options. Specify verbose to get detailed help. |
New and Update command options
The following table shows the options supported by the -New and -Update commands:
| Options | Default Value | Applies To | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| -a, -Algorithm | sha1RSA | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | Specifies the algorithm to generate dependency digests with. Value must be 'sha256RSA' or 'sha1RSA. Use with the '-Update' option. This option is ignored when using the '-Sign' option |
-appc, -AppCodeBasemanifestReference | Deployment manifests. | Inserts a URL or file path reference to the application manifest file. This value must be the full path to the application manifest. | |
-appm, -AppManifestmanifestPath | Deployment manifests. | Inserts a reference to a deployment's application manifest into its deployment manifest. The file indicated by manifestPath must exist, or Mage.exe will issue an error. If the file referenced by manifestPath is not an application manifest, Mage.exe will issue an error. | |
-cf, -CertFilefilePath | All file types. | Specifies the location of an X509 digital certificate for signing a manifest or license file. This option can be used in conjunction with the -Password option if the certificate requires a password for Personal Information Exchange (PFX) files. Starting with .NET Framework 4.7, if the file does not contain a private key, a combination of the -CryptoProvider and -KeyContainer options is required. Starting with .NET Framework 4.6.2, Mage.exe signs manifests with CNG as well as CAPI certificates. | |
-ch, -CertHashhashSignature | All file types. | The hash of a digital certificate stored in the personal certificate store of the client computer. This corresponds to the Thumbprint string of a digital certificate viewed in the Windows Certificates Console.hashSignature can be either uppercase or lowercase, and can be supplied either as a single string, or with each octet of the Thumbprint separated by spaces and the entire Thumbprint enclosed in quotation marks. | |
-csp, -CryptoProviderprovider-name | All file types. | Specifies the name of a cryptographic service provider (CSP) that contains the private key container. This option requires the -KeyContainer option. This option is available starting with .NET Framework 4.7. | |
-fd, -FromDirectorydirectoryPath | Application manifests. | Populates the application manifest with descriptions of all assemblies and files found in directoryPath, including all subdirectories, where directoryPath is the directory that contains the application that you want to deploy. For each file in the directory, Mage.exe decides whether the file is an assembly or a static file. If it is an assembly, it adds a <dependency> tag and installFrom attribute to the application with the assembly's name, code base, and version. If it is a static file, it adds a <file> tag. Mage.exe will also use a simple set of heuristics to detect the main executable for the application, and will mark it as the ClickOnce application's entry point in the manifest.Mage.exe will never automatically mark a file as a 'data' file. You must do this manually. For more information, see How to: Include a Data File in a ClickOnce Application. Mage.exe also generates a hash for each file based on its size. ClickOnce uses these hashes to ensure that no one has tampered with the deployment's files since the manifest was created. If any of the files in your deployment change, you can run Mage.exe with the -Update command and the -FromDirectory option, and it will update the hashes and assembly versions of all referenced files. -FromDirectory will include all files in all subdirectories found within directoryPath.If you use -FromDirectory with the -Update command, Mage.exe will remove any files in the application manifest that no longer exist in the directory. | |
-if, -IconFilefilePath | Application manifests. | Specifies the full path to an .ICO icon file. This icon appears beside your application name in the start menu, and in its Add-or-Remove Programs entry. If no icon is provided, a default icon is used. | |
-ip, -IncludeProviderURLurl | true | Deployment manifests. | Indicates whether the deployment manifest includes the update location value set by -ProviderURL. |
-i, -InstallwillInstall | true | Deployment manifests. | Indicates whether or not the ClickOnce application should install onto the local computer, or whether it should run from the Web. Installing an application gives that application a presence in the Windows Start menu. Valid values are 'true' or 't', and 'false' or 'f'. If you specify the -MinVersion option, and a user has a version less than -MinVersion installed, it will force the application to install, regardless of the value that you pass to -Install. This option cannot be used with the -BrowserHosted option. Attempting to specify both for the same manifest will result in an error. |
-kc, -KeyContainername | All file types. | Specifies the key container that contains the name of the private key. This option requires the CryptoProvider option. This option is available starting with .NET Framework 4.7. | |
-mv, -MinVersion[version] | The version listed in the ClickOnce deployment manifest as specified by the -Version flag. | Deployment manifests. | The minimum version of this application a user can run. This flag makes the named version of your application a required update. If you release a version of your product with an update to a breaking change or a critical security flaw, you can use this flag to specify that this update must be installed, and that the user cannot continue to run earlier versions.version has the same semantics as the argument to the -Version flag. |
-n, -NamenameString | Deploy | All file types. | The name that is used to identify the application. ClickOnce will use this name to identify the application in the Start menu (if the application is configured to install itself) and in Permission Elevation dialog boxes. Note: If you are updating an existing manifest and you do not specify a publisher name with this option, Mage.exe updates the manifest with the organization name defined on the computer. To use a different name, make sure to use this option and specify the desired publisher name. |
-pwd, -Passwordpasswd | All file types. | The password that is used for signing a manifest with a digital certificate. Must be used in conjunction with the -CertFile option. | |
-p, ProcessorprocessorValue | Msil | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | The microprocessor architecture on which this distribution will run. This value is required if you are preparing one or more installations whose assemblies have been precompiled for a specific microprocessor. Valid values include msil, x86, ia64, and amd64. msil is Microsoft intermediate language, which means all of your assemblies are platform-independent, and the common language runtime (CLR) will just-in-time compile them when your application is first run. |
-pu,-ProviderURLurl | Deployment manifests. | Specifies the URL which ClickOnce will examine for application updates. | |
-pub, -PublisherpublisherName | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | Adds the publisher name to the description element of either the deployment or application manifest. When used on an application manifest, -UseManifestForTrust must also be specified with a value of 'true' or 't'; otherwise, this parameter will raise an error. | |
-s, -SupportURLurl | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | Specifies the link that appears in Add or Remove Programs for the ClickOnce application. | |
-ti, -TimestampUriuri | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | The URL of a digital timestamping service. Timestamping the manifests prevents you from having to re-sign the manifests should your digital certificate expire before you deploy the next version of your application. For more information, see Windows root certificate program members. | |
-t, -ToFilefilePath | - New: - Deployment: deploy.application - Application: application.exe.manifest - Update: - The input file. | All file types. | Specifies the output path of the file that has been created or modified. If -ToFile is not supplied when you use -New, the output is written to the current working directory. If -ToFile is not supplied when you use -Update, Mage.exe will write the file back to the input file. |
-tr, -TrustLevellevel | Based on the zone in which the application URL resides. | Application manifests. | The level of trust to grant the application on client computers. Values include 'Internet', 'Intranet', and 'FullTrust'. |
-um, -UseManifestForTrustwillUseForTrust | False | Application manifests. | Specifies whether the digital signature of the application manifest will be used for making trust decisions when the application runs on the client. Specifying 'true' or 't' indicates that the application manifest will be used for trust decisions. Specifying 'false' or 'f' indicates that the signature of the deployment manifest will be used. |
-v, -VersionversionNumber | 1.0.0.0 | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | The version of the deployment. The argument must be a valid version string of the format 'N.N.N.N', where 'N' is an unsigned 32-bit integer. |
-wpf, -WPFBrowserAppisWPFApp | false | Application manifests. Deployment manifests. | Use this flag only if the application is a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) application that will be hosted inside of Internet Explorer, and is not a stand-alone executable. Valid values are 'true' or 't', and 'false' or 'f'. For application manifests, inserts the hostInBrowser attribute under the entryPoint element of the application manifest.For deployment manifests, sets the install attribute on the deployment element to false, and saves the deployment manifest with a .xbap extension. Specifying this argument along with the -Install argument produces an error, because a browser-hosted application cannot be an installed, offline application. |
Sign command options
The following table shows the options supported by the -Sign command, which apply to all types of files.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
-cf, -CertFilefilePath | Specifies The location of a digital certificate for signing a manifest. This option can be used in conjunction with the -Password option if the certificate requires a password for Personal Information Exchange (PFX) files. Starting with .NET Framework 4.7, if the file does not contain a private key, a combination of the -CryptoProvider and -KeyContainer options is required. Starting with .NET Framework 4.6.2, Mage.exe signs manifests with CNG as well as CAPI certificates. |
-ch, -CertHashhashSignature | The hash of a digital certificate stored in the personal certificate store of the client computer. This corresponds to the Thumbprint property of a digital certificate viewed in the Windows Certificates Console.hashSignature can be either uppercase or lowercase, and can be supplied either as a single string or with each octet of the Thumbprint separated by spaces and the entire Thumbprint enclosed in quotation marks. |
-csp, -CryptoProviderprovider-name | Specifies the name of a cryptographic service provider (CSP) that contains the private key container. This option requires the -KeyContainer option. This option is available starting with .NET Framework 4.7. |
-kc, -KeyContainername | Specifies the key container that contains the name of the private key. This option requires the CryptoProvider option. This option is available starting with .NET Framework 4.7. |
-pwd, -Passwordpasswd | The password that is used for signing a manifest with a digital certificate. Must be used in conjunction with the -CertFile option. |
-t, -ToFilefilePath | Specifies the output path of the file that has been created or modified. |
Remarks
All arguments to Mage.exe are case-insensitive. Commands and options can be prefixed with a dash (-) or a forward slash (/).
All of the arguments used with the -Sign command can be used at any time with the -New or -Update commands as well. The following commands are equivalent.
Note
Beginning with .NET Framework version 4.6.2, CNG certificates are also supported.
Signing is the last task you should perform, because a signed document uses a hash of the file to verify that the signature is valid for the document. If you make any changes to a signed file, you must sign it again. If you sign a document that was previously signed, Mage.exe will replace the old signature with the new.
When you use the -AppManifest option to populate a deployment manifest, Mage.exe will assume that your application manifest will reside in the same directory as the deployment manifest within a subdirectory named after the current deployment version, and will configure your deployment manifest appropriately. If your application manifest will reside elsewhere, use the -AppCodeBase option to set the alternate location.
Your deployment and application manifest must be signed before you deploy your application. For guidance about signing manifests, see Trusted Application Deployment Overview.
Edit.exe Download
The -TrustLevel option for application manifests describes the permission set an application requires to run on the client computer. By default, applications are assigned a trust level based on the zone in which their URL resides. Applications deployed over a corporate network are generally placed in the Intranet zone, while those deployed over the Internet are placed in the Internet zone. Both security zones place restrictions on the application's access to local resources, with the Intranet zone slightly more permissive than the Internet zone. The FullTrust zone gives applications complete access to a computer's local resources. If you use the -TrustLevel option to place an application in this zone, the Trust Manager component of the CLR will prompt the user to decide whether he or she wants to grant this higher level of trust. If you are deploying your application over a corporate network, you can use Trusted Application Deployment to raise the trust level of the application without prompting the user.
Application manifests also support custom trust sections. This helps your application obey the security principle of requesting least permission, as you can configure the manifest to demand only those specific permissions that the application requires in order to execute. Mage.exe does not directly support adding a custom trust section. You can add one using a text editor, an XML parser, or the graphical tool MageUI.exe. For more information about how to use MageUI.exe to add custom trust sections, see MageUI.exe (Manifest Generation and Editing Tool, Graphical Client).
Visual Studio 2017 includes version 4.6.1 of Mage.exe. Manifests created with this version of Mage.exe target .NET Framework 4. To target older versions of the .NET Framework, use an earlier version of Mage.exe.
When you add or remove assemblies from an existing manifest, or re-sign an existing manifest, Mage.exe does not update the manifest to target .NET Framework 4.
The following tables show these features and restrictions:
| Manifest version | Operation | Mage v2.0 | Mage v4.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest for applications targeting version 2.0 or 3.x of the .NET Framework | Open | OK | OK |
| Close | OK | OK | |
| Save | OK | OK | |
| Re-sign | OK | OK | |
| New | OK | Not supported | |
| Update (see below) | OK | OK | |
| Manifest for applications targeting version 4 of the .NET Framework | Open | OK | OK |
| Close | OK | OK | |
| Save | OK | OK | |
| Re-sign | OK | OK | |
| New | Not supported | OK | |
| Update (see below) | Not supported | OK |
| Manifest version | Update Operation Details | Mage v2.0 | Mage v4.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manifest for applications targeting version 2.0 or 3.x of the .NET Framework | Modify an assembly | OK | OK |
| Add an assembly | OK | OK | |
| Remove an assembly | OK | OK | |
| Manifest for applications targeting version 4 of the .NET Framework | Modify an assembly | Not supported | OK |
| Add an assembly | Not supported | OK | |
| Remove an assembly | Not supported | OK |
Mage.exe creates new manifests that target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile. ClickOnce applications that target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile can run on both the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile and the full version of the .NET Framework 4. If your application targets the full version of the .NET Framework 4 and cannot run on the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile, remove the client <framework> element by using a text editor and re-sign the manifest.
The following is a sample <framework> element that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile:
Examples
The following example opens the user interface for Mage (MageUI.exe).
The following examples create a default deployment manifest and application manifest. These files are all created in the current working directory and are named deploy.application and application.exe.manifest, respectively.
The following example creates an application manifest populated with all of the assemblies and resource files from the current directory.
The following example continues the previous example by specifying the deployment name and target microprocessor. It also specifies a URL against which ClickOnce should check for updates.
The following example demonstrates how to create a pair of manifests for deploying a WPF application that will be hosted in Internet Explorer.
The following example creates an application manifest populated with all of the assemblies and resource files from the current directory and signs.
The following example updates a deployment manifest with information from an application manifest, and sets the code base for the location of the application manifest.
Edit Exe Manifest Windows 10
The following example edits the deployment manifest to force an update of the user's installed version.
The following example tells the deployment manifest to retrieve the application manifest from another directory.
The following example signs an existing deployment manifest using a digital certificate in the current working directory.
The following example signs an existing deployment manifest using a digital certificate and private key in the current working directory.
See also
-->MageUI.exe supports the same functionality as the command-line tool Mage.exe, but with a Windows-based user interface (UI). With this tool you can create, edit, and sign deployment and application manifests. New manifests that are created with MageUI.exe target the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile. Previous versions of MageUI.exe should be used to target previous .NET Framework versions. When adding or removing assemblies from a manifest, or re-signing existing manifests, MageUI.exe does not update the manifest to target .NET Framework 4 Client Profile. For more information, see Mage.exe (Manifest Generation and Editing Tool).
This tool is automatically installed with Visual Studio. To run the tool, use the Developer Command Prompt for Visual Studio (or the Visual Studio Command Prompt in Windows 7). For more information, see Command Prompts.
Two versions of Mage.exe and MageUI.exe are included as a component of Visual Studio. To see version information, run MageUI.exe, select Help, and select About. This documentation describes version 4.0.x.x of Mage.exe and MageUI.exe.
Note
MageUI.exe does not support the compatibleFrameworks element when saving an application manifest that has already been signed with a certificate using MageUI.exe. Instead, you must use Mage.exe.
UIElement List
The following table lists the menu and toolbar items that are available.
| Command | Menu | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Manifest | File, New | Creates a new application manifest. | |
| Deployment Manifest | File, New | Creates a new deployment manifest. | |
| Open | File | CTRL+O | Opens an existing deployment manifest, application manifest, or trust license for editing. |
| Close | File | CTRL+F4 | Closes an open file. If you modify a file before closing it, MageUI.exe prompts you to re-sign the file with a public key, key pair, or stored certificate. |
| Save | File | CTRL+S | Saves to disk the document which currently has user input focus. |
| Save As | File | Saves a file to disk, enabling you to supply a new file name and/or location. | |
| Save All | File | Saves the changes made to all files currently open within MageUI.exe. | |
| Preferences | File | Opens the Preferences dialog box. See the following section for more information. | |
| Exit | File | ALT+F4 | Quits MageUI.exe. |
| Cut | Edit | CTRL+X | Removes the currently selected text from the application and moves it to the system Clipboard. |
| Copy | Edit | CTRL+C | Copies the currently selected text to the system Clipboard. |
| Paste | Edit | CTRL+V | Pastes text from the system Clipboard into the currently active text element. |
| Delete | Edit | Deletes an element currently selected in a list, such as a trust license on the Deployment Manifest tab. | |
| Close All | Window | Closes all files currently open in MageUI.exe. If one or more files need saving, MageUI.exe prompts you to save them. MageUI.exe also prompts you to select a signing key for each unsigned or changed file. | |
| About | Help | Displays version and copyright information about MageUI.exe. |
Preferences Dialog Box
The Preferences dialog box contains the following elements.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Sign on save | Prompts you to sign a file whenever you save your modifications. |
| Use default signing certificate | Uses the key entered in the Certificate file text box to sign all files. This eliminates the signing prompt that typically appears when you save a file and Sign on Save is selected. Use the ellipsis (…) button next to the Certificate file text box to select a key file. |
| Digest algorithm | Specifies the algorithm to generate dependency digests with. Value must be 'sha256RSA' or 'sha1RSA'. Uses SHA1 as the default. Used both in application and deployment manifests. If the user provides a certificate when saving the manifest, uses the algorithms in the certificate to generate dependency digests with. |
Signing Options Dialog Box
The Signing Options dialog box appears when you save a manifest or trust license for the first time, or when you change a manifest or trust license. It only appears if the Sign on Save option in the Preferences dialog box is selected. You must be connected to the Internet when signing a manifest that specifies a value in the TimeStamping URI text box.
This dialog box contains the following elements.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Sign with certificate file | Signs the manifest with a digital certificate stored on the file system. |
| File | Provides an area to type the path to the .pfx file representing the certificate. |
| ... | Opens a Choose File dialog box for selecting an existing .pfx file. |
| New | Generates a new .pfx that is not verifiable through a Certificate Authority (CA). For more information about the types of certificates used for signing ClickOnce deployments, see Trusted Application Deployment Overview. |
| Password | Provides an area to type the password used for signing with this certificate. If not applicable, can be left blank. |
| Sign with stored certificate | Displays a selectable list of digital certificates stored in your computer's certificate store. |
| TimeStamping URI | Displays the Uniform Resource Locator (URI) of a digital timestamping service. Timestamping the manifests prevents you from having to re-sign the manifests if your digital certificate expires before you deploy the next version of your application. For more information, see Windows root certificate program members and ClickOnce and Authenticode. |
| Don't Sign | Allows you to save the manifest without adding a signature from a digital certificate. |
Tab and Panel Descriptions
When you open a document with MageUI.exe, it appears within its own tab page. Each tab contains a set of property panels. The panels contain grouped subsets of the document's data.
Application Manifest Tab
The Application Manifest tab displays the contents of an application manifest. The application manifest describes all files included with the deployment, and the permissions required for the application to run on the client.
The Application Manifest tab contains the following tabs.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Specifies identifying information about this deployment. |
| Description | Specifies publisher, product, and support information. |
| Application Options | Specifies whether this is a browser application, and whether this manifest is the source of trust information. |
| Files | Specifies all of the files that constitute this deployment. |
| Permissions Required | Specifies the minimum permission set required by the application to run on a client. |
Name Tab
The Name tab is displayed when you first create or open an application manifest. It uniquely identifies the deployment, and optionally specifies a valid target platform.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Required. The name of the application manifest. Usually the same as the file name. |
| Version | Required. The version number of the deployment in the form N.N.N.N. Only the first major build number is required. For example, for version 1.0 of an application, valid values would include 1, 1.0, 1.0.0, and 1.0.0.0. |
| Processor | Optional. The machine architecture on which this deployment can run. The default is msil, or Microsoft Intermediate Language, which is the default format of all managed assemblies. Change this field if you have pre-compiled the assemblies in your application for a specific architecture. For more information about pre-compilation, see Ngen.exe (Native Image Generator). |
| Culture | Optional. The two-part ISO country and region code in which this application runs. The default is neutral. |
| Public key token | Optional. The public key with which this application manifest has been signed. If this is a new or unsigned manifest, this field will appear as Unsigned. |
Description Tab
This information is usually provided within the deployment manifest. These fields can only be modified if the Use Application Manifest Trust Information check box is selected on the Application Options tab.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The name of the person or organization responsible for the application. This value is used as the Start menu folder name. |
| Product | The full product name. If you selected Install Locally for the Application Type element on the Deployment Options tab of the deployment manifest, this name will be what appears in the Start menu link and in Add or Remove Programs for this application. |
| Support Location | The URL from which customers can obtain help and support for the application. |
Application Options Tab
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Windows Presentation Foundation Browser Application | Specifies whether this is a WPF application that runs in the browser as a XAML browser application (XBAP). |
| Use Application Manifest Trust Information | Specifies whether this manifest contains trust information. |
Files Tab
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Application directory | The directory in which the application's files reside. Use the ellipses (…) button to select the directory. |
| Populate | Adds all of the files in the application directory and subdirectories to the application manifest. If MageUI.exe finds a single executable file in the directory, it automatically marks this as the Entry Point, which is the file first executed when the ClickOnce application is launched on the client. |
| Application Files | Lists all of the files in the application. Each file has three editable attributes, discussed below. |
| File Type | File Type can be one of four values: - None. - Entry Point. The application's primary executable. Only one executable file can be marked as the entry point. - Data File. A file, such as an XML file, that supplies data to the application. - Icon File. An application icon, such as appears on the desktop or in the corner of an application's window. |
| Optional | Files marked optional are not downloaded on initial install or update, but may be downloaded at run time using the System.Deployment On-Demand API. For more information, see Walkthrough: Downloading Assemblies on Demand with the ClickOnce Deployment API Using the Designer. |
| Group | A label for a set of optional files. You can apply a Group label to a set of files, and use the On-Demand API to download a batch of files with a single API call. |
Permissions Required Tab
Use the Permissions Required tab if you need to grant your application more access to the local computer than is granted by default. For more information, see Securing ClickOnce Applications.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Permission set type | The minimum permission set required by this application to run on the client. For a description of these permission sets and which permissions they do or do not demand, see Named Permission Sets. |
| Details | The XML created for the application manifest to represent the permission set. Unless you have a good understanding of the application manifest XML format, you should not edit this XML manually. For more information, see ClickOnce Application Manifest. |
Deployment Manifest Tab
The Deployment Manifest tab contains the following tabs.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Specifies identifying information about this deployment. |
| Description | Specifies publisher, product, and support information. |
| Deployment Options | Specifies additional information about the deployment, such as the application type and the start location. |
| Update Options | Specifies how often ClickOnce should check for application updates. |
| Application Reference | Specifies the application manifest for this deployment. |
Name Tab
The Name tab is displayed when you first create or open a deployment manifest. It uniquely identifies the deployment, and optionally specifies a valid target platform.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Required. The name of the deployment manifest. Usually the same as the file name. |
| Version | Required. The version number of the deployment in the form N.N.N.N. Only the first major build number is required. For example, for version 1.0 of an application, valid values would include 1, 1.0, 1.0.0, and 1.0.0.0. |
| Processor | Optional. The machine architecture on which this deployment can run. The default is msil, or Microsoft Intermediate Language, the default format of all managed assemblies. Change this field if you have compiled the assemblies in your application for a specific architecture. |
| Culture | Optional. The two-part ISO country/region code in which this application runs. The default is neutral. |
| Public key token | Optional. The public key with which this deployment manifest has been signed. If this is a new or unsigned manifest, this field will appear as Unsigned. |
Description Tab
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Required. The name of the person or organization responsible for the application. This value is used as the Start menu folder name. |
| Product | Required. The full product name. If you selected Install Locally for the Application Type element on the Deployment Options tab, this name will be what appears in the Start menu link and in Add or Remove Programs for this application. |
| Support Location | Optional. The URL from which customers can obtain help and support for the application. |
Deployment Options Tab
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Application Type | Optional. Specifies whether this application installs itself to the client computer (Install Locally), runs online (Online Only), or is a WPF application that runs in the browser (WPF Browser Application). The default is Install Locally. |
| Start Location | Optional. The URL from which the application should actually be started. Useful when deploying an application from a CD that should update itself from the Web. |
| Include Start Location (ProviderURL) in the manifest | Optional. Specifies the URL which ClickOnce will examine for application updates. |
| Automatically run application after installing | Required. Specifies that the ClickOnce application should run immediately after the initial installation from a URL. The default is the check box is selected. |
| Allow URL parameters to be passed to application | Required. Permits the transfer of parameter data to the ClickOnce application through a query string appended to the deployment manifest's URL. The default is the check box is cleared. |
| Use .deploy file extension | Required. When selected, all files in the application manifest must have the .deploy extension. The default is the check box is cleared. |
Update Options Tab
The Update Options tab only contains options mentioned here when the Application Type selection box on the Name tab is set to Install Locally.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| This application should check for updates | Specifies whether ClickOnce should check for application updates. If this check box is not selected, the application will not check for updates unless you update it programmatically by using the APIs in the System.Deployment.Application namespace. |
| Choose when the application should check for updates | Provides two options for update checks: - Before the application starts. The update check is performed prior to application execution. - After the application starts. The update check begins once the main form of the application has initialized, and will run the next time the application starts. |
| Update check frequency | Determines how often ClickOnce should check for updates: - Check every time the application runs. ClickOnce will perform an update check every time the user opens the application. - Check every: Select a time interval and a unit (hours, days, or weeks) that must elapse before checking for updates. |
| Specify a minimum required version for this application | Optional. Specifies that a specific version of your application is a required installation, preventing your users from working with an earlier version. |
| Version | Required if Specify a minimum required version for this application check box is selected. The version number supplied must be of the form N.N.N.N. Only the first major build number is required. For example, for version 1.0 of an application, valid values would include 1, 1.0, 1.0.0, and 1.0.0.0. |
Application Reference Tab
The Application Reference tab contains the same fields as the Name tab described earlier in this topic. The one exception is the following field.
| UI Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Select Manifest | Allows you to choose the application manifest. All of the other fields on this page will populate when you choose an application manifest. |