AYou can learn more about our dynamic company, and expanding EPOC software portfolio, from Neuon's web site at http://www.neuon.com
If you are a visionary C++, Java or OPL32 developer, motivated by doing something different, excited by challenges, relish the prospect of working with kindred spirits, and recognise the value of a dedicated support team, Neuon would like to hear from you.
Neuon - where innovation and quality are principles, not an afterthought
DnSISUtil enables .PKG/.SIS file creation and editing on an EPOC device. The main purpose for nSISUtil is to allow EPOC developers to create .SIS files on an EPOC platform without having to use a PC. This then enables developers to update applications on the net using only an EPOC device, for example.
This help file assumes that the developer has an understanding of the principle concepts of using .PKG and .SIS files. It is not the purpose of nSISUtil to be a tutorial for the creation of .PKG and .SIS files. However, for ease of reference, extracts from the Symbian EPOC SDK on PKG syntax have been included in the file PKGSyntax (in EPOC help file format). This is an option during installation and is installed to the \System\nSISUtil\ folder.
If you intend creating a .SIS file which embeds another .SIS file, you should read the topic .SIS and the Shared Module Problem.
After starting nSISUtil, use:
PKG | New Ctrl+N to create a new .PKG file
PKG | Open Ctrl+O to open an existing .PKG file.
PKG | Recreate Ctrl+R to recreate a .PKG file from a .SIS file.
SIS | Create Ctrl+C to create a .SIS file.
SIS | Explore Ctrl+Q to explore a .SIS file and extract and/or read any included files.
AA .PKG file must first exist before a .SIS file can be created. nSISUtil provides the option to create a new .PKG file, or edit an existing one.
To Create a new .PKG file, use the menu item PKG | Open (Ctrl+N).
To open an existing .PKG file, use the menu item PKG | Open (Ctrl+O)
For assistance with the syntax used in .PKG files, read the optional help file PKGSyntax in the \System\nSISUtil\ folder
BnSISUtil offers the option to recreate a .PKG file from the information contained in a SIS.file. The .SIS file may either be a complete .SIS which has yet to be installed, or the .SIS stub file which remains in a \System\Install\ folder after installation.
To recreate a .PKG file, use the menu item PKG | Recreate (Ctrl+R)
In the folder navigator, select the .SIS file from which you want to reconstruct the .PKG data.
Tip: In the navigator, you can change drives using the Tab key
The reconstructed .PKG file will be displayed.
Important: Before saving the data to a new .PKG file, you should check the reconstructed data as multi-language filenames cannot be reconstructed completely
Use Save to PKG (Ctrl+S) to save the reconstructed data to a .PKG file.
]ATo create a .SIS file:
A .PKG file must first have been created (see the topic Open/Create .PKG).
Use the menu item SIS |Create Ctrl+C and select a .PKG file in the folder navigator.
Tip: In the navigator, you can change drives using the Tab key
Enter a filename for .SIS file.
A message will appear if the .SIS file has been successfully created.
AThis software has been extensively tested and no problems have been found.
However, neither the Author nor Neuon warrant that this software is error free. In no event shall the author or Neuon be liable for any consequential, special, incidental or indirect damages of any kind arising out of the delivery, performance or use of the software, even if the Author or Neuon have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Use of this software is entirely at the Users risk.
Table1
title
synonym
Table1
ColA1
ColB1
ColA2
ColB2
ColA3
ColB3
ColA4
ColB4
Index1
ColA4
LIf you are creating a .SIS which embeds another .SIS file (e.g. your .PKG file contains an entry like @
Another.sis
,(0x00000000), you should be aware of the following. In this explanation, module.sis applies to any embedded .SIS inside a parent .SIS.
1. The embedded method of .SIS incorporation has limitations, which are of note for shared modules (typically a shared.opx) which are packaged in their own separate shared module.SIS file.
2. After an installation, a residual .SIS stub is created in \system\install\ for the dependant parent .SIS and for each of its embedded shared module.SIS. These stubs contain important information for use by EPOC Install and the Control panel option 'Add/Remove'.
3. To ensure that
1) any shared module is only removed when no other dependant application requires it, and...
2) the user is warned that removing the shared module directly may break other applications,
requires every .SIS stub for a dependant parent .SIS to be in C:\system\install\.
It does not matter on which drive the .SIS stub for any embedded shared module.SIS is located, nor does it matter on which drive the dependant applications or shared module(s) are located. The key requirement is that the .SIS stub for the dependant parent is in C:\system\install\.
4. Unfortunately, this cannot be guaranteed for two reasons:
1) Unlike installations on the machine itself, which always use C:\system\install\, the PC based EPOC Install program places .SIS stubs in the \system\install\ folder dependent on the options originally used in the parent.sis .PKG file. If all files can be installed on an optional drive selected by the user, this same drive is used for the .SIS stubs. If this is D, then the .SIS stubs are placed in D:\system\install\. The same is true if the .PKG file mandates that all files must be on drive D.
2) Users may move .SIS stubs from C:\system\install\ to D:\system\install\, partly prompted by what EPOC Install may have done.
When the last dependant parent.SIS stub in C:\system\install\ is removed, or there are no dependant parent .SIS stub in C:\system\install\, removing a parent app.SIS will mean that shared modules will be deleted, or no warning given, even if a dependant app remains on the machine.
So, what does this mean?
When your app depends on a shared module, in order to ensure that the removal of your application does not break someone else's which also uses the same shared module, this three point plan is recommended:
1. You exploit the EPOC Install behaviour which forces the parent .SIS stub to be placed in C:\system\install\, even if the drive location for all other files was drive D, by choice or by design. This is done by including one option in the parent .PKG file which has a hard-coded drive of C. Some possibilities are:
a. To include a real file which is installed on drive C
"some real file"-"C:\some folder\some real file",FF
b. To specify a deletion requirement, when the app is removed, for a real or bogus file on drive C
""-"C:\system\apps\myapp\myapp.ini",FN
""-"C:\bogus stub fix",FN
2. You embed the shared module.SIS in the parent .SIS file
shared.sis
,(0x00000000)
3. Users are advised not to move any parent .SIS stub.
pBThe menu item Tools | Preferences provides options to customise nSISUtil
s operation. These options are provided for advanced users only.
Optimise removes the source file path. This will make the .SIS file a bit smaller.
Skip syntax check prevents nSISUtil performing a syntax check while analysing a .PKG file.
Reverse files makes nSISUtil process the files which were defined in the .PKG in the reverse order.
Max files sets the maximum number of files which can be defined in a .PKG (the default = 128). Changing this number will affect the memory used by nSISUtil. More memory is used the greater the maximum limit.
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Swiss
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
Arial
AThe Author would like to express his thanks to the following people, without whom nSISUtil would never have been the application it is today:
Beta testing:
Ralph Sprenger
Henry Hirst
Ben Vaisvil
Phil Spencer
Support:
Special thanks to Henry Hirst, Alex Wilbur & Richard Betts for the five OPX's used, the first four of which are publicly available from the Neuon web site www.neuon.com
nListbox.OPX
nDirNav.OPX
nMPD.OPX
nDiskTools.OPX
Neuon.OPX
About NeuonR
NSISUtil!
Welcome to nSISUtilR
NSISUtil!
PreferencesR
NSISUtil!
Open/Create .PKGR
NSISUtil!
Recreate .PKGR
NSISUtil!
Create .SISR
NSISUtil!
Explore .SISR
To explore a .SIS file, use the menu item SIS | Explore (Ctrl+Q). After selecting the required .SIS file in the folder navigator, the contents of the .SIS file will be displayed.
Tip: In the navigator, you can change drives using the Tab key
NSISUtil!
Licence and DistributionR
{nSISUtil is copyright (c) Jens Kaminski and Neuon 1998-2000. nSISUtil is provided as freeware, subject to the Disclaimer.
NSISUtil!
DisclaimerR
NSISUtil!
Contacting the AuthorR
If you wish to contact the author, Jens Kaminski, for more information concerning nSISUtil, to report any bugs, or just for a chat:
Email - jens@neuon.com
ICQ - 4681731
NSISUtil!
CreditsR
NSISUtil!
".SIS and the shared module problemR
NSISUtil!
Installer preferences5
This option can be accessed in Tools | Installer preferences on the menu.
This allows you to change the settings of the Installer, such as: