ClickOnce File Association

Question

I have a console application that I am deploying with ClickOnce. As soon as the user installs the program, associations are established, but the corresponding program is the installer (ClickOnce Application Deployment Support Library), and not the actual program. How can I get the association as an actual program and not an installer?

I have included fileAssociation node from app.manifest below. Please let me know if you have any tips on this. Thanks.

<fileAssociation xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:clickonce.v1" extension=".aav" description="My Program" progid="MyProgram" defaultIcon="myIcon.ico" /> 

Tested on three different computers, ranging from Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7. Level of trust - full trust. Auto-update is configured to start before starting.

Answer 1

The problem was that 1 did not necessarily understand ClickOnce, thanks to the Concussion code for a quick overview.

And 2, that ClickOnce does not pass things through the traditional args format, but through the following property: AppDomain.CurrentDomain.SetupInformation.ActivationArguments.ActivationData

Answer 2

I think this is just a misunderstanding of how ClickOnce works. The main application of the ClickOnce application never starts directly. Applications are launched through the deployment manifest (.plplication file) on the server. If you open the shortcut to the application launch menu in a text editor, you will see that it points to the .application file, and not to the local .exe.

This allows all magic updates. If your .aav file was associated with a local .exe, the user will not receive any updates when opening the application through the .aav file.

You stated that the installer "starts" when you double-click the file; does your application start after that? Could you explain the end result that you expect?