In Setupbuilder...

[NewsArchive]

How can I see what a dialog will look like without compiling and
testing.


Thanks!

John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

In the Dialog Properties (e.g. Welcome Dialog Properties), press F1 to open
the online help. This will show you how the dialog looks like.

You can't "preview" from the IDE because the dialogs are created at
installer runtime.

HTH,

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

"point. click. ship" - that's SetupBuilder 6.7
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> You can't "preview" from the IDE because the dialogs are created at
> installer runtime.

OK. Gotcha.

About [INSTALLDIR]. The generated script seems to be pretty sure that
this will be set before the Wizard loop runs, but I want to determine
the install dir after the user interface stuff.

"Set Variable" set the compiler variables to what I want, so should I
just make and use my own ( %MYINSTALLDIR% )?

(I always feel like there is something I'm missing about the way SB
wants to do things!)

John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

> About [INSTALLDIR]. The generated script seems to be pretty sure that
> this will be set before the Wizard loop runs, but I want to determine
> the install dir after the user interface stuff.
>
> "Set Variable" set the compiler variables to what I want, so should I
> just make and use my own ( %MYINSTALLDIR% )?
>
> (I always feel like there is something I'm missing about the way SB
> wants to do things!)

See attached screenshot.

By default, the %_SB_INSTALLDIR% installer runtime variable is set to a
"default" installation folder before the dialogs are displayed. The
"default" (represented by the [INSTALLDIR] compiler variable) is defined in
the General Information properties.

So what the above does is, it sets a default installation folder value.

You can do with %_SB_INSTALLDIR% whatever and wherever you want. The script
is completely "what you see is what you get". Just for fun, comment-out
line 29 in my demo code and you'll see what happens. The default
installation folder is "empty".

BTW, "Set Variable" sets the value of a runtime variable, NOT a compiler
variable!

Of course, you can create your own %MYINSTALLDIR% variable, but this will
not be the default installation folder. You can use:

Set Variable "%_SB_INSTALLDIR% to "%MYINSTALLDIR%

to pass the value of your own install variable back to the default
installation variable.

Does this help?

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

"point. click. ship" - that's SetupBuilder 6.7
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> Does this help?

It's late, I'll look into it! Thanks again.


John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

>> Does this help?
>
> It's late, I'll look into it! Thanks again.

Okay :) Always ask if there is any question! We are here to help.

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

"point. click. ship" - that's SetupBuilder 6.7
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> By default, the %_SB_INSTALLDIR% installer runtime variable is set to a
> "default" installation folder before the dialogs are displayed. The
> "default" (represented by the [INSTALLDIR] compiler variable) is defined in
> the General Information properties.

I decided to keep working! Yes, I guess I'm just puzzled by the way
[INSTALLDIR] is shown here and there, but isn't eventually the actual install
dir... I'll get the hang of it.

One other thing for now, I'm having trouble with installing a folder with
shortcuts on the desktop, in that it doesn't appear until a manual refresh of
the desktop is done. Then, on uninstall, the shortcuts are uninstalled but the
folder is not (after a manual refresh). Do I need to do something special
here??

Thanks.


John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

> [INSTALLDIR] is shown here and there, but isn't eventually the actual install

...and what is shown in 'Ready to Install'. So I get the new one in there...


John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

> I decided to keep working! Yes, I guess I'm just puzzled by the way
> [INSTALLDIR] is shown here and there, but isn't eventually the actual
> install dir... I'll get the hang of it.
>
> One other thing for now, I'm having trouble with installing a folder with
> shortcuts on the desktop, in that it doesn't appear until a manual refresh
> of the desktop is done. Then, on uninstall, the shortcuts are uninstalled
> but the folder is not (after a manual refresh). Do I need to do something
> special here??

This has nothing to do with the installer. It is caused by your Windows
Desktop "cache".

You can use the "Refresh Desktop" function to initiate a Desktop refresh.

Does this help?

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

Hi John,

>> [INSTALLDIR] is shown here and there, but isn't eventually the
>> actual install
>
> ...and what is shown in 'Ready to Install'. So I get the new one
> in there...

Please note that [INSTALLDIR] is a COMPILER variable (only available at
compile time). It is *not* a runtime installer variable.

At compile time, the %SB_INSTALLDIR% is set to the value of the [INSTALLDIR]
compiler variable. For example, if [INSTALLDIR] is set to c:\test then the
compiler sets the %SB_INSTALLDIR% to c:\test.

If the installer is executed then the value of %SB_INSTALLDIR% is c:\test.
If you change default installation folder (%SB_INSTALLDIR%), e.g. by
selecting c:\clarion, then c:\clarion is displayed in the "Ready to Install"
dialog.

There is a fundamental difference between compiler variables
[COMPILER_VARIABLE] and installer runtime variables %RUNTIME_VARIABLE%.

Does this help?

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

"point. click. ship" - that's SetupBuilder 6.7
Create Windows Vista ready installations in minutes

-- Official Comodo Code Signing and SSL Certificate Partner

[NewsArchive]

> If the installer is executed then the value of %SB_INSTALLDIR% is c:\test.
> If you change default installation folder (%SB_INSTALLDIR%), e.g. by
> selecting c:\clarion, then c:\clarion is displayed in the "Ready to Install"
> dialog.

Got it,thanks.


John Newman
Software Partners Australia

[NewsArchive]

> This has nothing to do with the installer. It is caused by your Windows
> Desktop "cache".

Darn Windows Vista!! I'll go away now!

Thanks,


John Newman
Software Partners Australia