Can I create a desktop icon for a ClickOnce application?

Question

I have read in some of the ClickOnce posts that ClickOnce does not allow you to create a desktop icon for you application. Is there any way around this?

Answer 1

In Visual Studio 2005, ClickOnce does not have the ability to create a desktop icon, but it is now available in Visual Studio 2008 SP1. In Visual Studio 2005, you can use the following code to create a desktop icon for you when the application starts.

I have used this code over several projects for a couple of months now without any problem. I must say that all my applications have been deployed over an intranet in a controlled environment. Also, the icon is not removed when the application is uninstalled. This code creates a shortcut to the shortcut on the start menu that ClickOnce creates.

private void CreateDesktopIcon()
{
    ApplicationDeployment ad = ApplicationDeployment.CurrentDeployment;

        if (ad.IsFirstRun)
        {
            Assembly assembly = Assembly.GetEntryAssembly();
            string company = string.Empty;
            string description = string.Empty;

            if (Attribute.IsDefined(assembly, typeof(AssemblyCompanyAttribute)))
            {
                AssemblyCompanyAttribute ascompany =
                  (AssemblyCompanyAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(
                    assembly, typeof(AssemblyCompanyAttribute));

                company = ascompany.Company;
            }
            if (Attribute.IsDefined(assembly, typeof(AssemblyDescriptionAttribute)))
            {
                AssemblyDescriptionAttribute asdescription =
                  (AssemblyDescriptionAttribute)Attribute.GetCustomAttribute(
                    assembly, typeof(AssemblyDescriptionAttribute));

                description = asdescription.Description;
            }
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(company))
            {
                string desktopPath = string.Empty;
                desktopPath = string.Concat(
                                Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop),
                                "\\",
                                description,
                                ".appref-ms");

                string shortcutName = string.Empty;
                shortcutName = string.Concat(
                                 Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Programs),
                                 "\\",
                                 company,
                                 "\\",
                                 description,
                                 ".appref-ms");

                System.IO.File.Copy(shortcutName, desktopPath, true);
            }
        }
    }
}