Section 2.2. Configure Your Application

2.2. Configure Your Application

A number of properties affect how your program will be compiled and run. These settings are important, and when you need to change them you want to be able to find them easily. Now you can set all your application properties in one place.

2.2.1. How do I do that?

Create a new project and name it SimplifyCoding (you'll use this project in the next lab as well). Right-click the project and click Properties. A properties window opens with numerous tabs on the lefthand side, as shown in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6. Project properties

As you click through the tabs you'll see you have immediate access to all the properties that affect how your project is built, debugged, and distributed. The final tab, Publish, can greatly simplify the work required in setting up your program for distribution, as shown in Figure 2-7.

Figure 2-7. The Publish tab

2.2.2. What just happened?

When you clicked the Publish tab you were offered the opportunity to publish your application (once built) to a specific URL (for distribution over the Web) as well as the ability to set the version number. The tab also includes a button to open the Publish Wizard, which walks you through the necessary setup steps to publish your fully developed application.

2.2.3. What about...

...publishing via an FTP server or using settings other than the default settings shown in the properties dialog?

To do this, click the Publish Wizard button shown at the bottom of Figure 2-7. Here's where you can easily modify these settings, guided by the wizard to ensure that you get the syntax right, as shown in Figure 2-8.

Figure 2-8. Publishing to settings you choose

2.2.4. Where can I learn more?

The Visual Studio 2005 Help file has an extensive topic on project properties, walking you through each property individually and explaining what it does and its possible legal values.