Thread: Making a setup which would generate some folders with the files needed for program.

Hi there.
I was wondering if you could help me with some information. I think it is simple, but I'm still novice.

The thing is. The program loads 39 pics from 2 folders, the program just shows them and also i have there some buttons but that the button doesn't matter. As i said, the program load the pics from 2 folders, which are located in my computer ( c:\desktop\ etc.. ). In the code in a specific variable is the location -> mPicPath = "C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss/init";. Ok, it works fine, but I want to use this program in another computer, and here is the problem. In the code i have just my address, another computer will not have the same address as my computer does, so it would not know where to load the pics from. And even i have to move the two folders with the exe everywhere. I think my point is clear.
Can I make an install which would generate the folders with the pics in them and automatically readjust to a given address ( in the code ).

Any infos would be helpful. Thank you.

The code - ( i will highlight the address variable )

Code:

#pragma once


namespace speranta {


    using namespace System;
    using namespace System::ComponentModel;
    using namespace System::Collections::Generic;
    using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
    using namespace System::Data;
    using namespace System::IO;
    using namespace System::Drawing;


    /// <summary>
    /// Summary for MyForm
    /// </summary>
    int norep[100]; 
    int l = 1;
    
    public ref class MyForm : public System::Windows::Forms::Form
    {
        String^ mPicPath;
        List<String^> ^mPicNames;
        Random^ mRandom;
        // second folder
        String^ mPicPath2;
             List<String^> ^mPicNames2;
    public:
        MyForm(void)
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }


    protected:
        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>
        ~MyForm()
        {
            if (components)
            {
                delete components;
            }
        }
    private: System::Windows::Forms::PictureBox^  pictureBox1;
    protected:
    private: System::Windows::Forms::Button^  button1;
    private: System::Windows::Forms::Button^  button2;
    private:
        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>
        System::ComponentModel::Container ^components;


#pragma region Windows Form Designer generated code
        /// <summary>
        /// </summary>
        void InitializeComponent(void)
        {
            this->pictureBox1 = (gcnew System::Windows::Forms::PictureBox());
            this->button1 = (gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button());
            this->button2 = (gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button());
            (cli::safe_cast<System::ComponentModel::ISupportInitialize^>(this->pictureBox1))->BeginInit();
            this->SuspendLayout();
            // 
            // pictureBox1
            // 
            this->pictureBox1->Location = System::Drawing::Point(12, 12);
            this->pictureBox1->Name = L"pictureBox1";
            this->pictureBox1->Size = System::Drawing::Size(1057, 617);
            this->pictureBox1->SizeMode = System::Windows::Forms::PictureBoxSizeMode::StretchImage;
            this->pictureBox1->TabIndex = 0;
            this->pictureBox1->TabStop = false;
            this->pictureBox1->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler(this, &MyForm::pictureBox1_Click);
            // 
            // button1
            // 
            this->button1->Location = System::Drawing::Point(306, 635);
            this->button1->Name = L"button1";
            this->button1->Size = System::Drawing::Size(187, 32);
            this->button1->TabIndex = 1;
            this->button1->Text = L"Genereaza";
            this->button1->UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this->button1->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler(this, &MyForm::button1_Click);
            // 
            // button2
            // 
            this->button2->Location = System::Drawing::Point(581, 635);
            this->button2->Name = L"button2";
            this->button2->Size = System::Drawing::Size(187, 32);
            this->button2->TabIndex = 2;
            this->button2->Text = L"Rezultat";
            this->button2->UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
            this->button2->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler(this, &MyForm::button2_Click);
            // 
            // MyForm
            // 
            this->AutoScaleDimensions = System::Drawing::SizeF(8, 16);
            this->AutoScaleMode = System::Windows::Forms::AutoScaleMode::Font;
            this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size(1081, 672);
            this->Controls->Add(this->button2);
            this->Controls->Add(this->button1);
            this->Controls->Add(this->pictureBox1);
            this->Name = L"MyForm";
            this->Text = L"MyForm";
            this->Load += gcnew System::EventHandler(this, &MyForm::MyForm_Load);
            (cli::safe_cast<System::ComponentModel::ISupportInitialize^>(this->pictureBox1))->EndInit();
            this->ResumeLayout(false);


        }
#pragma endregion


    private: System::Void pictureBox1_Click(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e) {
        //------
    }
             int f;
    public: System::Void button1_Click(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
    {
        int k = 0;
        int idx = mRandom->Next(mPicNames->Count);
        do {
            if ((l == 39) || (l==40)) {
                for (int i = 0; i <= 40; i++) norep[i] = 0;
            }
            k = 0;
            for (int i = l; i > 0; i--)
                if (idx != norep[i]) k = k + 1;
            if (k == l)
            {
                norep[l] = idx;
                pictureBox1->Image = Image::FromFile(mPicNames[idx]);
                f = idx;
                l++;
                break;
            }
            if (k != l) {
                idx = mRandom->Next(mPicNames->Count);
            }
        } while (k != l);
    }


    public: System::Void button2_Click(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e)
    {
        pictureBox1->Image = Image::FromFile(mPicNames2[f]);
    }
    private: System::Void MyForm_Load(System::Object^  sender, System::EventArgs^  e) {
        norep[0] = 0;
        for (int q = 0; q <= 100; q++) norep[q] = 0;
        // rezultat
        mPicPath2 = "C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss/rezult";
        mPicNames2 = gcnew List<String^>;
        array<String^> ^tmp2 = Directory::GetFiles(mPicPath2, "*.png");
        mPicNames2->AddRange(tmp2);
        tmp2 = Directory::GetFiles(mPicPath2, "*.jpg");
        mPicNames2->AddRange(tmp2);
        if (mPicNames2->Count == 0)
        {
            MessageBox::Show("Nici o imagine adaugata");
            return;
        }
        pictureBox1->Image = Image::FromFile(mPicNames2[0]);


        // resurse

        mPicPath = "C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss/init";
        mPicNames = gcnew List<String^>;
        array<String^> ^tmp = Directory::GetFiles(mPicPath, "*.png");
        mPicNames->AddRange(tmp);
        tmp = Directory::GetFiles(mPicPath, "*.jpg");
        mPicNames->AddRange(tmp);
        if (mPicNames->Count == 0)
        {
            MessageBox::Show("Nici o imagine adaugata");
            return;
        }
        mRandom = gcnew Random();
        pictureBox1->Image = Image::FromFile(mPicNames[0]);
    }
};
}

Screenshot - 7405bd26b07010e337de74a3a1bfa854 - Gyazo

photo to get a better idea.

OpenFileDialog Class (System.Windows.Forms)
So just add a couple of openfiledialogs.

Some options.

When you create a shortcut link to your program, there is a field called "Start in", which will be the current directory when the program starts.
So you could set C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss as your start directory, then try to discover all images below that point.


You could also do something from the command line, say
myprog.exe C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss

Here is where you could do both those things on a shortcut.

Originally Posted by Salem

Some options.

When you create a shortcut link to your program, there is a field called "Start in", which will be the current directory when the program starts.
So you could set C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss as your start directory, then try to discover all images below that point.

You could also do something from the command line, say
myprog.exe C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss

Here is where you could do both those things on a shortcut.

----------------

I will try that.
Wait, I got something in my mind. Can I get the path of the directory where the program was started. Let's suppose my program is located on C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/prog/ can i get into a variable the current folder automatically.

Code:

FolderBrowserDialog^ folder = gcnew FolderBrowserDialog;
    
         folder->ShowDialog();
         String^ FilePathh = folder->SelectedPath;
             //mPicPath2 = "C:/Users/sasam/Desktop/POO/geo/photoss/rezult";
         mPicPath2 = FilePathh;

So I've made a folderbrowserdialog. It opens and i select that folder with the pics. Now, maybe is there a properties like SelectedPath, but that will get the current folder where is the program located. Something like rootfolder but that is something else.

edit -
I found that folder->rootFolder = Environment::SpecialFolder::Personal; which would go to the my documents directory. So maybe there is a way to get the folder where is the .exe located.

Yes, a program can find out the current directory.
Time to rummage through MSDN.