Executable method: generate your standalone app as a single exe-file for easy distribution and web-publishing.

Applies to:
Finish your application - the build function

Using the build functionality you create an application which is executable as a standalone application on every Windows system, fully independently from the BrowserBob developing environment.
 

Executable: creation of a single selfextracting "Application.exe" for easy publishing and single file distribution.
This method packs all files into a single executable file, which you can publish or distribute easily. Use this method for web-publishing or for sending your application to colleagues & friends. You can add your own program icon for the file.
The application will launch like any other application after double-clicking the exe-file.

TIP:
for large projects with big amounts of additional files, this is not the method of choice, as each time the application is launched all these files need to be extracted to a temporary directory on the users machine - this takes longer if lots of files are included. In this case you might want to use the setup method instead. For CD/DVD projects, you should use the raw method.
 

Advantages:
- Single selfextracting file
- Easy distribution/publishing
- Smallest possible file size
- Immediate application launch
- Fully branded, your own icon
- Possibility to add additional  files
- no installation for users / easy to use

 

 

Target Directory
This determines where the generated executable file shall be saved.

To change the target directory, press the folder icon to the right of the input field, which opens a folder dialog where you can choose or create a directory.

Open target directory in explorer after building:
If you want to test the generated program immediately, check this box in order to open the target directory in a windows explorer window after the build process has finished.

Filename
Here you may enter the filename of the executable to be generated. A double click on this file will launch your application.

Encode Config-File
Every application made with BrowserBob loads a configuration file where all information about the application is saved. This file can be edited with a text editor or a word processor. In most cases you would not want to open these data for public editing - you would want to hide them from the user. In this case make sure the
Encode Config-File option is checked. Consequently your configuration file will be encrypted to make it unreadable/unchangeable by unauthorized parties.


Icon

This indicates the executable's iconic display. Click on the thumbnail to assign your own icon. A file dialog will appear where you may select an image of your choice: BMP, GIF, JPG, ICO file formats are supported. You may as well enter the path and filename into the text field to the right of the icon preview.

If the selected image is larger than 32x32 pixels, it will be shrunk to these dimensions. If the image has more than 256 colors it will be reduced to 256 colors.
 

TIP: invisible colors (non rectangle icons) will only work if you create an original 32 x 32 pixels icon in your graphics editor. Shrunk icons will not be able to have transparent areas (alpha color).

 

Alpha Color
Icons may have transparent areas. To obtain this, you need to determine an Alpha Color which represents the pixels that will be shown transparent. Determining the Alpha Color can be done in two different ways:

1. by clicking the color box to invoke a color selection dialog and choosing a color, or
2. by clicking the pick icon right to the color box first and then clicking on the part of the icon that shall be transparent.

TIP:
invisible colors will only work for icons if you create an original 32 x 32 pixels icon.

Build Button
After all settings have been made, you can start the compilation process by hitting the Build Button.

This process is going to take a few seconds - watch the progress bar. A status message beneath the bar indicates when your application is ready to use.

Your application is now finished and ready to run. Click Close to exit the build dialog.

 


 

Doubleclicking the executable file (*.exe) in the target directory will launch your application. Please make sure you close the application before building again.

NOTE: the generated application is fully independent from the BrowserBob development environment and can not be opened in project mode anymore. Thus make sure to save your project file before you exit BrowserBob.

 

Related topics:
Bulding
Build dialog

File structure of BrowserBob applications