Adding Prerequisites in to Visual Studio 2008

o Bootstrapper Manifest Generator Tool URL: http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/bmg/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=1567
(is used for generating the manifest file in the Bootstrapper folder of the VS2008 environment)

The above tool will create a folder and add the manifest files to the following location:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages

The folder should have the following files in it:
For example if your adding the SQL Exress 2005 as a prerequisite to the VS 2008,

The tool creates a folder based on the project name provided while creating the
manifest file.

Creating Custom Packages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are some cases in which you do not have to create a package for your redistributable. Typically, you only have to build packages for shared components or system components, which have to install files to the GAC, perform global registration, or make up a Windows Service.

You should ask the control provider whether you can ship the redistributable file together with the application. If a simple copy operation would be sufficient to redistribute the prerequisite component (for example, if it has no dependencies), you do not have to create a package. Just make sure that the file is included in the setup or that it is set to Copy Local. (The file's Copy property in Properties View should be set to True.)

You should also determine whether you have to use an installer. If so, use a Bootstrapper package.

To create a new component package, you have to supply:

The redistributable component in the form of an EXE or MSI file.

The product manifest, product.xml, which contains any language-neutral metadata for the package. This contains metadata common to all the localized versions of the redistributable component.

The package manifest, package.xml, which contains language-specific metadata; it typically contains localized error messages. A component must have at least one package manifest for each localized version of that component.

How to use the Tool?

Step1:Open the tool and create a project



Step2: Setting up the Manifest project



Step3: Selecting an .exe file


Step4: Final manifest project file


Step5: Build output




Following are the few software download links to configure the Prerequisites in the VS2008

o MDAC Download URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?FamilyId=9AD000F2-CAE7-493D-B0F3-AE36C570ADE8&displaylang=en
o SQL Express From FTP: ftp://192.168.1.6/technical/Installables/Microsoft/SQL/SQL 2005 Express SP3

o Crystal Report download URL: http://resources.businessobjects.com/support/additional_downloads/runtime.asp#09 (Follow the attached word document to convert the file to .msi format)

o WSE 3.0 Runtime Download URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9e59c3fb-e7bc-4d91-908e-411a8d329f3d&displaylang=en

Some helpful links:

• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1334436/adding-custom-prerequsites-to-visual-studio-setup-project
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165429.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165429(v=VS.90).aspx