How do Releases work?

[ccordes]

Is there an explanation somewhere of how to effectively use releases?
Do they work by just using compiler variables for everything?
Is there an example or cookbook for one I can look at?

thanks,
chris c

[CMS Software]

Hello,

Do a search on "Releases" in "tags" and you will find many good pieces of information.

Here is a prior posting that might help some:

http://www.lindersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9668&highlight=releases

-O. D.-

[CMS Software]

Here is a little more information on releases.

First, you can set up releases for each version of your software. This could be Single User and Network User or it could be Demo Version, Lite Version, Full Version, Gold Version, etc.

http://www.cms-track.com/SB6Releases/01 Visualizer.gif

Once the releases are defined, click on one of the release definitions in the left screen of the Release Visualizer and then go to the right side to set up the unique definitions for that particular release.

http://www.cms-track.com/SB6Releases/02 Release Vars.gif

Then, at the bottom of the Release Variables screen you click on the text that says "Double Click here to update the Compiler Variable list". The resulting screen (shown below) is where you will define the variables that can be used in the Compiler Dialogs and the Compiler Script to control what happens when that particular release is compiled into an installer program.

Note that I have defined [_CMS_README_HEADING] and [_CMS_README_TITLE], among other things. ALL of the variables you see here are different for each release. That is the idea, in the Release Visualizer you define the things like "Product Name" and "Executable Name" that are unique to that one release.

http://www.cms-track.com/SB6Releases/03 Release Compiler Vars.gif

Notice in that in the next screen I have used [_CMS_README_HEADING] and [_CMS_README_TITLE] in the ReadMe Dialog screen definitions. This results in a unique ReadMe Dialog being displayed for each release. The sample text shown here is generic, but in practice it would say something unique like "5 User Information", etc.

http://www.cms-track.com/SB6Releases/04 ReadMe Dialog.gif

The variables defined in the Release Visualizer can also be used in the script files.

Finally, in my script I have statements like the following:

#ifcompvar [SB_RELEASEID] equals "SglUsr" then
** Script commands unique to Single User go here **
#endif

There is at least one code section like the one shown above for each release defined in the first screen capture shown above.

Variables defined in the Release Visualizer are instantiated (defined) before anything else happens. This means that they can be used in the "General" section of the Visualizer to set global characteristics and they are available for use virtually everywhere inside SetupBuilder!

SetupBuilder is one amazing program and it just keeps getting better and better and better and better...

-O. D. Williams-