Visual Basic Concepts

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Internet Component Download

Downloading applications or components from the Internet is significantly different from installing a standard Visual Basic application. In standard applications, the user uses a setup program to install the software. On the Web, users download the application after accessing a Web page from which it is available. The browser, rather than a setup program, is responsible for copying all the needed files to the user's computer.

End users use Internet component download to automatically download and install Internet applications and ActiveX components from Web pages. You can use the Package and Deployment Wizard to prepare your software for Internet component download. The Package and Deployment Wizard creates a cabinet (.cab) file that contains all of the information necessary to download, install, and register your software.

The benefits of Internet component download include:

  • File compression for faster download.

  • A single file for your component and an .inf file that describes other files required.

  • Dependency files, such as Msvbvm60.cab, will only be downloaded as necessary — thus minimizing download time.

  • Easier updating when new versions of your component are created.

  • Automatic installation performed when the control is downloaded.

For More Information   See the "Code Download Training Site" at https://support.microsoft.com/support/inetsdk for a collection of information about Internet component download. See "Using the Package and Deployment Wizard to Prepare Software for Download" in this chapter for more information about the concepts in Internet component download.