My group uses merge modules on various projects which is then added to a setup project. This simplifies deployment by having only one .msi for our entire suite of functionality and allows us to have one entry under Add/Remove Programs. I cannot find a way to do this with a web setup project given there is no “Web Setup Merge Module” project type. If I simply add project output from a website, no aspx files are deployed (only the assemblies), if I create a Web Setup project, then only the resultant .msi is deployed…it is not installed.
So, the question is: Is there a recommended way to deploy a web project as part of a larger installation (ala merge module) so there is one entry in Add/Remove Programs?
The setup projects available in Visual Studio only cover a tiny subset of the functionality of Windows Installer. Have a look at WiX from Microsoft. It exposes pretty much all Windows Installer functionality without having to buy expensive commercial products. It integrates into Visual Studio, so you can create a “WiX setup project” as easily as a built-in one.