Binder Tool

A Windows GUI application for bundling multiple executables into a single deployable package

Features • Build • Usage • How It Works • Requirements • License

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Overview

Binder Tool is a Windows Forms application designed to bundle two executable files into a single output executable. Inspired by the concept of nesting layers, this tool embeds multiple programs inside one package and executes them sequentially when launched.

This tool is particularly useful for:

• Software distribution requiring multiple components
• Creating unified installers from separate executables
• Bundling auxiliary utilities with main applications
• Simplifying deployment of multi-executable solutions

Features

Feature	Description
Dual Executable Bundling	Combine two .exe files into a single output file
Sequential Execution	Automatically run bundled executables in order
Custom Icon Support	Apply a custom .ico to the final executable
Visual Studio Integration	Uses VS build tools for stable compilation
Simple GUI Interface	Easy-to-use Windows Forms UI
Automatic VS Detection	Includes vswhere.exe for locating Visual Studio
Clean Execution	Temporary extracted files are removed after running

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Requirements

System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11

• Runtime: .NET Framework 4.0+

• IDE: Visual Studio 2022

  • .NET desktop development workload required

Dependencies

The tool automatically extracts and uses:

• vswhere.exe – Visual Studio installation locator

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Install Visual Studio 2022 with:

  • .NET desktop development workload
  • C# support

• Download the project as a ZIP file

Build Steps

1. Open src/*.sln in Visual Studio
2. Choose build configuration: Debug or Release
3. Build using Ctrl + Shift + B
4. Output will be in bin/Debug/ or bin/Release/

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Usage

1. Start the Application Run *.exe located in the build output.

2. Select Custom Icon (Optional) Choose a .ico file to assign as the output executable's icon.

3. Select First Executable Choose the program that should run first.

4. Select Second Executable Choose the program that should run second.

5. Generate the Bundle The tool will:

   • Copy selected executables to the build directory
   • Compile the embedded resources using Visual Studio
   • Display the final bundled file named appropriately

Example Workflow

Input:
├── FirstApp.exe
├── SecondApp.exe
└── CustomIcon.ico

Output:
└── FinalBundle.exe

Execution flow:
1. Extract and run FirstApp.exe
2. Extract and run SecondApp.exe
3. Remove temporary extracted files

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Technical Details

1. Visual Studio Detection

vswhere.exe -prerelease -latest -property installationPath

2. File Embedding

• Selected executables are placed inside a Resources/ folder
• They are compiled as embedded resources in the output executable

3. Runtime Extraction

string path = Path.GetTempPath() + "Patch1.exe";

4. Sequential Execution

• First executable executes with a timeout
• Second executable runs afterwards
• Both are deleted when execution finishes

Disclaimer

This tool is intended for educational and legitimate bundling purposes only. The authors are not responsible for any misuse.

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Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to your fork
5. Open a Pull Request

License

Released under the MIT License.

Made with ❤️ by the community

⭐ Feel free to star the project if you find it helpful!