how to let user influence setup
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Hi. I want to let the user choose with a checkbox during installation if a shortcut should be added to the desktop. How du I do that?? I found out how to add the checkbox with the question and how to add a shortcut, but a cannot figure out how to connect the two... also, how can i let the user choose where to place a shortcut in the user's program menu?
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Hi. I want to let the user choose with a checkbox during installation if a shortcut should be added to the desktop. How du I do that?? I found out how to add the checkbox with the question and how to add a shortcut, but a cannot figure out how to connect the two... also, how can i let the user choose where to place a shortcut in the user's program menu?
The checkbox must be bound to a property. The shortcut should have a condition property in the PropertyGrid. If it does, simply put the property name in there (the property doesn't exist initially so if it does when the condition is checked, the shortcut is created; otherwise, it's not). If it doesn't, then you'll either need to get a REAL Windows Installer builder (I recommend Wise Solutions' Windows Installer because it's much cheaper and easier to use than InstallShield's). The VS.NET installer projects are lame and only good for small projects that do need to do much or for internal testing. Beyond that scope, you either need to manually edit or create the MSI packages using Orca (good understanding of Windows Installer required) or get a real package like I described above.
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
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The checkbox must be bound to a property. The shortcut should have a condition property in the PropertyGrid. If it does, simply put the property name in there (the property doesn't exist initially so if it does when the condition is checked, the shortcut is created; otherwise, it's not). If it doesn't, then you'll either need to get a REAL Windows Installer builder (I recommend Wise Solutions' Windows Installer because it's much cheaper and easier to use than InstallShield's). The VS.NET installer projects are lame and only good for small projects that do need to do much or for internal testing. Beyond that scope, you either need to manually edit or create the MSI packages using Orca (good understanding of Windows Installer required) or get a real package like I described above.
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
this works fine!:-D but yes, a bit troublesome...:doh: So you are saying that if i want the user to decide where to place the shortcut, i have to use a different installer?
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this works fine!:-D but yes, a bit troublesome...:doh: So you are saying that if i want the user to decide where to place the shortcut, i have to use a different installer?
For shortcuts, I believe you can't let them specify. I know you can for files (besides shortcuts). Basically, if you want to do anything advanced, get a real MSI development tool...or take the hard road and learn MSI so well that you can author installations from scratch using the Orca MSI database tool. I hack a lot of my installs with this (if I can't get around certain things that Wise likes to do at compile-time) and you can use it to produce transforms in a reall cool way! But, you have to understand MSI VERY well. In any case, I do recommend Wise for Windows Installer. It's only about $400 and worth every penny (based on my usage with versions 1.0 through 4.0). I don't even think you can get InstallShield for Windows Installer anymore without buying the entire suite, and it's slow and not very easy to use (based on my usage with InstallShield trials with versions 1.0 through 4.0).
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
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For shortcuts, I believe you can't let them specify. I know you can for files (besides shortcuts). Basically, if you want to do anything advanced, get a real MSI development tool...or take the hard road and learn MSI so well that you can author installations from scratch using the Orca MSI database tool. I hack a lot of my installs with this (if I can't get around certain things that Wise likes to do at compile-time) and you can use it to produce transforms in a reall cool way! But, you have to understand MSI VERY well. In any case, I do recommend Wise for Windows Installer. It's only about $400 and worth every penny (based on my usage with versions 1.0 through 4.0). I don't even think you can get InstallShield for Windows Installer anymore without buying the entire suite, and it's slow and not very easy to use (based on my usage with InstallShield trials with versions 1.0 through 4.0).
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Where can I find information about Orca MSI database tool ? Free your mind...
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Where can I find information about Orca MSI database tool ? Free your mind...
Download the Windows Installer SDK, part of the Platform SDK (http://msdn.microsoft.com/platformsdk[^]). It won't actually install Orca, but there's an MSI in one of the Platform SDK directories that installs it. If you know MSI pretty well and deal with it a lot (I do the installs for my company and have consulted with many others), it's an invaluable tool!
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
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For shortcuts, I believe you can't let them specify. I know you can for files (besides shortcuts). Basically, if you want to do anything advanced, get a real MSI development tool...or take the hard road and learn MSI so well that you can author installations from scratch using the Orca MSI database tool. I hack a lot of my installs with this (if I can't get around certain things that Wise likes to do at compile-time) and you can use it to produce transforms in a reall cool way! But, you have to understand MSI VERY well. In any case, I do recommend Wise for Windows Installer. It's only about $400 and worth every penny (based on my usage with versions 1.0 through 4.0). I don't even think you can get InstallShield for Windows Installer anymore without buying the entire suite, and it's slow and not very easy to use (based on my usage with InstallShield trials with versions 1.0 through 4.0).
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.21 GCS/G/MU d- s: a- C++++ UL@ P++(+++) L+(--) E--- W+++ N++ o+ K? w++++ O- M(+) V? PS-- PE Y++ PGP++ t++@ 5 X+++ R+@ tv+ b(-)>b++ DI++++ D+ G e++>+++ h---* r+++ y+++ -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
great answer. Thanks a lot!:)
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Where can I find information about Orca MSI database tool ? Free your mind...
The way I got it was with the Platform SDK, but there might also be another way.
**"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson