This is just a case of weekend blues.

While reviewing the code in my framework (5.0) for a possible conversion to 6.0 SP3 I happened to look again at a uitility that is vital to me. When I need to create the install/distribution files, this routine creates a new directory structure and moves all files in the project to the appropriate directory. Ex: if my app is in n:\apps\current\inventory I will direct the procedure to create a new project in, say, c:\temp\test\install\inventory. The routine will then create a new project with the same name and move all the files that make the app to a new structure in the local dir. I could have libraries in m:\fw\libs, n:\apps\libs and n:\apps\current\inventory\libs: all the .vcx files will end up in a directory called c:\temp\test\install\inventory\libs. And so on for forms, include, reports, bmps etc. The procedure will then change all references to the old paths to the new ones and compile the new project.

There are several advantages, some of which are:
if the project compiles and runs in the new location I am sure it will install almost anywhere.
it is very easy to add files to the setup program
I get an automatic complete backup of an installed program (for versioning, updates, etc)
It is easy to make small exes and distribute forms and vcx with the source code removed (the utility takes care of this too)

What worries me is this: i don't recall seeing threads with solutions for this "problem". Does this means that it is not a problem at all? Could it be that I have invented the wheel again?

In other words, once a project is ready for shipping, how do you people go about preparing the distribution files/disks?

TIA