The first step in preparing your installation is to determine exactly what files your software requires for proper operation.
There are four basic types of files that you may need to distribute: program files, configuration files, operating system components, and shared application resources.
Program Files
Program files are the "main files" of your application. These files are essential to your application and are only useful in the context of your application. They can be executables, help files, documents, templates, or any other data files that your application requires. Program files usually make up the bulk of your software.
Configuration Files
Configuration files are used to store startup options, user settings, and other configuration options for your software. Information can be read from and written to these files during the normal operation of your application. These files are often referred to as "config" files, and come in many different formats, from traditional "INI" files (which adopt the same internal structure as Windows .ini files) to modern XML files.
Operating System Components
These files are usually included with the Windows operating system, but you may want to distribute the newest versions of certain files, or you may have developed custom system files of your own. These files are generally DLLs, OCX components, or hardware drivers like SYS files and VxDs.
Shared Application Resources
These are files that may be shared by more than one application, such as ActiveX controls, OCX components, and DLL files.
Some of the files that you need to distribute will be obvious, such as the main executable and help files. Others may be less apparent, such as DLLs and ActiveX controls installed in the Windows directories of your development system.
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Many of today's development tools require that you distribute runtime support files along with your application. Please consult your development tool's documentation to determine what files you need to distribute with your software. |
Often an executable in your application absolutely requires other files in order to work properly. These "absolutely required" files are known as dependency files.
Dependency Files
Dependency files are external support files that an executable requires for proper operation. In other words, they are external files that a program file "depends on" in order to function properly. Dependency files may include INI files, DLLs, ActiveX controls, OCX components, or any other support file type. Although it's generally preferable to install dependency files in the same directory as the program that needs them, they are often installed in other locations, such as the Windows system directories.
Setup Factory has a built-in dependency scanner that you can use to identify dependency files and add them to your project.
Setup Factory also provides built-in runtime support for many runtime dependency files via the Runtime Support dialog.
The ultimate goal of a good installer is to get your software onto the user's system in an easy and accurate manner. Although Setup Factory ensures both you and your users' ease of use, the accuracy of the installation itself is largely up to you. Whether your files are installed in a structure in which they can function properly depends largely on where you tell Setup Factory to install those files.
The best way to ensure an accurate installation is to prepare the software in its finished state on your development system before you begin creating the installer. This means setting up the entire directory structure and all of the file locations exactly as you want them to appear on the user's system.
The end result should be that your software is fully installed on your development system exactly as you want it installed on the user's.
Not only does this make it easy to test your software in its intended directory structure, but it also makes the process of designing the installer much quicker and easier for you. All you'll have to do is drag your application folder onto the Setup Factory project window, and the files and sub-folders will be created exactly the same on the user's system.
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You should fully test your software in its "final" structure before creating the installer. |
See Also: Getting Started, Where Do Your Files Need To Be Installed?