build(installer): ship a Windows installer on each version tag

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+name: release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - "v*"
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  # The release body is the tag annotation, which release-tools:new writes; this job is the only
+  # publisher of the release.
+  build-and-release:
+    name: Build and release
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: extract version and release notes from tag
+        id: version
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          TAG="${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+          VERSION="${TAG#v}"
+          # Inno Setup's VersionInfoVersion accepts digits and dots only.
+          if [[ ! "$VERSION" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+            echo "tag $TAG is not vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "tag=$TAG" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+          BODY=$(git tag -l --format='%(contents)' "$TAG")
+          if [ -z "$BODY" ]; then
+            BODY="Release $VERSION"
+            echo "no tag annotation found, using default body"
+          fi
+
+          {
+            echo "body<<RELEASE_NOTES_EOF"
+            echo "$BODY"
+            echo "RELEASE_NOTES_EOF"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: setup .NET
+        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+        with:
+          global-json-file: global.json
+
+      - name: restore
+        run: dotnet restore SemiPlot.slnx
+
+      - name: build
+        run: dotnet build SemiPlot.slnx -c Release --no-restore
+
+      - name: unit tests
+        run: dotnet test SemiPlot/SemiPlot.Tests.Unit/SemiPlot.Tests.Unit.csproj -c Release --no-build
+
+      - name: publish
+        run: dotnet publish SemiPlot/SemiPlot.UI/SemiPlot.UI.csproj -c Release -p:Version=${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+
+      # The jrsoftware.org direct download intermittently serves a corrupted file, so winget
+      # (preinstalled on windows runners) installs it instead. Machine scope keeps the
+      # Program Files (x86) path the build-installer step expects.
+      - name: install Inno Setup
+        shell: powershell
+        run: |
+          winget install --id JRSoftware.InnoSetup --exact --scope machine --silent `
+            --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --disable-interactivity
+          echo "C:\Program Files (x86)\Inno Setup 6" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_PATH -Encoding utf8 -Append
+
+      - name: build installer
+        shell: cmd
+        run: iscc.exe /DAppVersion=${{ steps.version.outputs.version }} Installer/SemiPlot.iss
+
+      - name: create GitHub release
+        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.version.outputs.tag }}
+          name: SemiPlot ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+          body: ${{ steps.version.outputs.body }}
+          draft: false
+          prerelease: false
+          make_latest: true
+          files: |
+            Installer/Output/SemiPlot-Setup.exe

Installer/SemiPlot.iss

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+; SemiPlot Inno Setup installer script
+; Build with: iscc.exe /DAppVersion=1.2.3 Installer\SemiPlot.iss
+; Run `dotnet publish SemiPlot/SemiPlot.UI/SemiPlot.UI.csproj -c Release -p:Version=1.2.3` first.
+
+#ifndef AppVersion
+  #error AppVersion must be defined. Pass it as: iscc.exe /DAppVersion=1.2.3 SemiPlot.iss
+#endif
+
+#define AppName      "SemiPlot"
+#define AppPublisher "Inc Semiteq"
+#define AppExeName   "SemiPlot.UI.exe"
+#define AppId        "{{D1A2B63D-5F0B-4A3E-9437-885417FCE2BC}"
+
+; Paths relative to the location of this .iss file (Installer/)
+#define SrcBinDir    "..\SemiPlot\Artifacts\publish\SemiPlot.UI\release_win-x64"
+#define SrcCfgDir    "..\ConfigFiles"
+#define AppIconFile  "..\SemiPlot\SemiPlot.UI\logo.ico"
+
+; Site paths: docs/architecture/overview.md#deployment
+#define ConfigRoot   "C:\DISTR\Config\SemiPlot"
+#define LogRoot      "C:\DISTR\Logs\SemiPlot"
+#define LaunchArgs   '--config-dir ""' + ConfigRoot + '"" --log-file ""' + LogRoot + '\semiplot.log"" --logging-level information'
+
+[Setup]
+AppId={#AppId}
+AppName={#AppName}
+AppVersion={#AppVersion}
+AppPublisher={#AppPublisher}
+AppVerName={#AppName} {#AppVersion}
+VersionInfoVersion={#AppVersion}
+
+ArchitecturesAllowed=x64compatible
+ArchitecturesInstallIn64BitMode=x64compatible
+
+DefaultDirName={autopf}\{#AppName}
+DefaultGroupName={#AppName}
+
+OutputDir=Output
+OutputBaseFilename=SemiPlot-Setup
+
+Compression=lzma2/ultra64
+SolidCompression=yes
+LZMAUseSeparateProcess=yes
+
+WizardStyle=modern
+SetupIconFile={#AppIconFile}
+UninstallDisplayIcon={app}\{#AppExeName}
+
+; Program Files and C:\DISTR both need admin rights
+PrivilegesRequired=admin
+
+CloseApplications=yes
+CloseApplicationsFilter=*{#AppExeName}*
+
+[Languages]
+Name: "russian"; MessagesFile: "compiler:Languages\Russian.isl"
+Name: "english"; MessagesFile: "compiler:Default.isl"
+
+[Tasks]
+Name: "desktopicon"; Description: "{cm:CreateDesktopIcon}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:AdditionalIcons}"; Flags: unchecked
+
+[Dirs]
+; The operator, not the installing admin, writes both: the settings window and the log sink
+Name: "{#ConfigRoot}"; Permissions: users-modify; Flags: uninsneveruninstall
+Name: "{#LogRoot}"; Permissions: users-modify; Flags: uninsneveruninstall
+
+[Files]
+Source: "{#SrcBinDir}\*"; Excludes: "*.pdb"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs
+
+; An upgrade keeps the operator's configuration, the archive password included
+Source: "{#SrcCfgDir}\*"; DestDir: "{#ConfigRoot}"; Flags: onlyifdoesntexist uninsneveruninstall recursesubdirs createallsubdirs
+
+[Icons]
+Name: "{group}\{#AppName}"; Filename: "{app}\{#AppExeName}"; Parameters: "{#LaunchArgs}"
+Name: "{group}\{cm:UninstallProgram,{#AppName}}"; Filename: "{uninstallexe}"
+Name: "{autodesktop}\{#AppName}"; Filename: "{app}\{#AppExeName}"; Parameters: "{#LaunchArgs}"; Tasks: desktopicon
+
+[Run]
+Filename: "{app}\{#AppExeName}"; Parameters: "{#LaunchArgs}"; Description: "{cm:LaunchProgram,{#AppName}}"; Flags: nowait postinstall skipifsilent runasoriginaluser

SemiPlot/SemiPlot.UI/SemiPlot.UI.csproj

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     <!-- Program.Main is the explicit entry point. -->
     <StartupObject>SemiPlot.UI.Program</StartupObject>
     <NeutralLanguage>en</NeutralLanguage>
+    <ApplicationIcon>logo.ico</ApplicationIcon>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>

docs/architecture/overview.md

@@ -358,6 +358,18 @@ one method: nothing else may resolve a service through a static.
   in `C:\DISTR\Config\SemiPlot`, logs in `C:\DISTR\Logs\SemiPlot\`. Neither sits beside the
   executable and neither is per-user. Nothing in the application knows those paths: the three launch
   keys carry them, and the installer is what fills them in.
+- **The installer.** `Installer/SemiPlot.iss` (Inno Setup) installs the published
+  `SemiPlot.UI` into `Program Files\SemiPlot` and writes the three launch keys into its shortcuts,
+  with `--logging-level information`. It grants `Users` modify on both site folders, because the
+  installing admin is not the operator the settings window and the log sink write as. It copies
+  `ConfigFiles/` only where a file does not exist yet, so an upgrade keeps the operator's password,
+  and the uninstaller leaves both folders in place. The cost: a key a later version makes required
+  never reaches an upgraded site, and its start fails naming the key. An unattended install runs
+  `SemiPlot-Setup.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART` and reads exit code 0 as success; a
+  deployment that knows the archive connection writes `connection/connection.yaml` under the
+  configuration folder before the installer runs, and the installer keeps it. `.github/workflows/release.yml`
+  builds the installer on a `vX.Y.Z` tag and publishes it with the tag annotation as the release body;
+  `release-tools:new` writes that annotation.
 - **Configuration is a tree of section folders.** A section is one folder under `--config-dir`, and
   every section folder behaves the same way: the loader reads every `*.yaml` in it, parses each file
   on its own and merges them at the key level. A key carried by two files of one folder stops the