Setup Panel creation for use with the build method "Setup"

Applies to:
Setup method

The build method Setup, which creates a custom setup wizard for installation of your application, requires a user interface for the installation wizard, which guides users through the installation process of the program. For this purpose a panel object with role "Setup" is required in your project.

The setup wizard user interface:
Since the creation of the user interface for your installation wizard is done with BrowserBob panel creation, this dialog may be free in shape and design, e.g. it can be created similar to the browser's layout or follow corporate identity specifications.

Tip: you find some ready to use sample setup panels including buttons in the BrowserBob library or you create your own setup panel, following these simple steps:

The user interface of the setup - the setup panel - is to be composed in design mode together with your application (in the actual project).
 

 

Adding a setup panel:
Just drag a panel object into your design area, select
Setup under Role and the panel is ignored during application runtime and test. At the same time it will be available on the Setup build dialog under  Control panel to be chosen as the actual setup interface for your project.

 

 

This panel needs some basic objects for its task as setup panel: a cancel button, a back button, a next button and a web object.
 

Complete the setup user interface
Add a panel to the design area and choose Setup as its Role in the properties dialog. This makes BrowserBob disregard this panel as part of the actual application and makes it available as a possible setup panel.
Now you can assign your own graphic as panel background.

 

 

Add a web object and three buttons to the panel.

The web object serves as content window, where readme and license files will be displayed, and where the user can specify installation properties.

The buttons serve as navigation buttons for the installation process: Cancel, Back and Next.

 

 

 

The Cancel Button
This button will cancel the installation process.

Target
is the web object you have put on the panel.

The Back Button
Goes back to the previous step of the installation process.

Target
is the web object you have put on the panel.

The Forward Button
Leads to the next step of the installation process.
Target
is the web object you have put on the panel.

 

Now you position the buttons like foreseen on the panel.

 

 

The web object you added to the panel will be the representation of the setup panels text box, where licence information, folder information etc. will be displayed. In our example it covers the grey area of the background image.

 

 

After these specifications, the setup panel is ready for use with the Setup method of the Build process.

TIP:
to avoid confusion in your project, you might want to hide the setup panel by unchecking the option "Visible in design mode".

Another possibility to make your work on setup panels easier is the Bring to front/Send to back functionality. As this has no effect on your setup panel during runtime, you can bring the panel in front of your Main dialog by selecting the panel via the project explorer and clicking "Bring to front". Sending the panel behind the Main Dialog works via "Send to back".

Related topics:
Setup method
Panel object
Panel object properties window
Button object properties window