There comes a time in any complex application's life when it needs to be deployed onto a computer for use by the users or by customers. With simple apps, this process can be as easy as copying a ZIP file, unzipping it to a directory, and running the app.
Installation technologies are very rich in their features and vast in their flexibility. A single chapter can't possibly cover all of their features. This chapter will cover some of the more common features required by the majority application installations.
With Windows®, users expect a certain level of integration with the system; from installing icons in the submenu of the Start menu, icons on the Desktop, configuration of the Registry, and so on. This chapter doesn't attempt to detail with how applications can integrate with Windows®, but it details deployment practices with regard to deploying applications integrated into Windows.
This chapter's various recommended practices for deployment...