I'm curious about how to properly package and ship standalone desktop applications, especially since I had a bit of a rough experience doing it a couple of years ago when I used a basic installer from an old tutorial for my C# app at my internship. Nowadays, when you install software, there seems to be a standard method that involves reading terms and conditions, clicking through options, and selecting an installation path. So, what's the official way to create an installer? I'm interested in any recommended methods across different programming languages like C++, C#, and Java.
3 Answers
Just a note: this process is actually pretty language-agnostic. Your installer or packager doesn't care about the language; it’s only interested in the final artifacts you're distributing.
There are tons of installer frameworks available, both free and paid. Honestly, they all have their pros and cons. The best approach is to find one that fits your needs and budget—just do some research and see what others are recommending. Then, you can figure out how to use it and build your installer from there.
It depends on how you're distributing your application. Installers are becoming less common overall. Outside of Windows, you rarely see them, and even in Windows, their usage is declining. Just check the documentation for the specific distribution platform you're targeting; there's no one-size-fits-all solution.
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