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1993-03-12
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THE FINISHING TOUCH
Professional Software Installation Program
Version 2.4
March 12, 1993
Developed by
ImagiSOFT, Inc.
Software Utilities Division
P.O. Box 13208
Albuquerque, NM 87192
Copyright 1992, ImagiSOFT, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a shareware version of The Finishing Touch
which may be copied and distributed for evaluation purposes as
described in the License Agreement below. However, IT MAY NOT BE
DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF ANY OTHER SOFTWARE PACKAGE. Please report
violations to ImagiSOFT, Inc. at the above address.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Purpose of The Finishing Touch Software ......................... 4
What is Shareware? .................................................. 5
Registration ........................................................ 5
How to Reach us for Support ......................................... 6
License Agreement ................................................... 6
Distributing Shareware Version of The Finishing Touch ............... 7
How to Make Master Disks of Your Software ........................... 8
Step 1: Installing the Software to Your Hard Drive ............... 8
Step 2: Batch Files ............................................. 10
Step 3: Formatting Floppy Disks ................................. 10
Step 4: Making Labels ........................................... 11
Step 5: Writing the Script File for INSTALL.EXE ................. 11
System Colors .................................................. 12
How to Create INSTALL.FIL ...................................... 13
BACKGROUND Command Example ................................. 13
TELESCOPE Command Example .................................. 13
WINOPEN Command Example .................................... 13
SHADOW Command Example ..................................... 14
SPACE Command Example ...................................... 14
DRIVE Command Example ...................................... 14
PATH Command Example ....................................... 14
UNPACK Command Example ..................................... 14
JUMP.FAIL Command Example .................................. 15
WAIT Command Example ....................................... 15
END Command Example ........................................ 15
DELETE Command Example ..................................... 16
RD Command Example ......................................... 16
WINCLOSE Command Example ................................... 16
Step 6: Copy Files to 1st Master Disk ........................... 17
Step 7: Use the PACKER Utility .................................. 17
Step 8: Test Your Work .......................................... 18
Step 9: Write Installation Instructions ......................... 18
Association of Shareware Professionals Membership .................. 19
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 2
APPENDIX A: SCRIPT FILE COMMANDS ................................... 20
ASK ............................................................ 20
BACKGROUND ..................................................... 21
BEEP ........................................................... 22
COPY ........................................................... 23
CPU ............................................................ 24
DELETE ......................................................... 25
DISK ........................................................... 26
DOS ............................................................ 27
DRIVE .......................................................... 28
EXIST .......................................................... 30
END ............................................................ 31
FILE ........................................................... 32
FILE.DATE ...................................................... 34
FILE.SIZE ...................................................... 35
JUMP ........................................................... 36
JUMP.FAIL ...................................................... 37
JUMP.NO ........................................................ 38
JUMP.YES ....................................................... 39
LANGUAGE ....................................................... 40
MEMORY ......................................................... 41
MD ............................................................. 42
MOUSE .......................................................... 43
PATH ........................................................... 44
PRINT .......................................................... 45
RD ............................................................. 46
REBOOT ......................................................... 47
RUN ............................................................ 48
SCRIPT ......................................................... 49
SET.FILES ...................................................... 50
SET.PATH ....................................................... 51
SHADOW ......................................................... 52
SHELL .......................................................... 53
SPACE .......................................................... 54
TELESCOPE ...................................................... 55
UNPACK ......................................................... 56
VIDEO .......................................................... 58
VIEW ........................................................... 59
WAIT ........................................................... 60
WINCLOSE ....................................................... 61
WINOPEN ........................................................ 62
APPENDIX B: OTHER FEATURES OF THE FINISHING TOUCH .................. 63
Renaming INSTALL.EXE ............................................. 63
Labels ........................................................... 63
Internal Variables ............................................... 63
Comments ......................................................... 65
Hiding Windows ................................................... 65
The Finishing Touch Registration Form .............................. 67
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 3
THE PURPOSE OF THE FINISHING TOUCH INSTALLATION PROGRAM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The purpose of The Finishing Touch is two fold:
1. The Finishing Touch reduces the amount of floppy disk space
required on the disks you send out by 50 - 75% which will help
you distribute your software on as few floppy disks as
possible. Depending upon the number of disks in the set, The
Finishing Touch will save you thousands of dollars in software
production, mailing, and distribution costs.
2. The Finishing Touch gives the end user a simple, friendly, and
reliable way to install your software. It can test their
hardware so your installation will go as smooth as possible.
This will please the user and will reduce support costs. You
only have one chance to make a first impression. Why not make
it the best one possible?
The Finishing Touch consists of six files:
PACKER.EXE The utility which compresses and copies files to
formatted floppy disks.
INSTALL.EXE The program which reads your script file, extracts
the files from the PACKED file on floppy disks,
copies them to the end user's hard drive, tests
hardware, displays your messages, and much more.
INSTALL.FIL A commented sample script file which tells
INSTALL.EXE what to do.
INSTALL.TXT Documentation for all the above -- this is the file
you are reading right now.
ORDER.TXT The order form to register this software.
READ.ME A file which tells how to print this documentation
and any other additional information.
IMPORTANT NOTE: INSTALL.EXE checks for missing or altered files. If
any of the above files (except INSTALL.FIL) has been altered or is
missing, the program will display an error and exit to DOS.
The registered version is different in the following ways:
1. The license agreement allows you to distribute INSTALL.EXE and
INSTALL.FIL with your software for the purpose of installing
it to the end user's hard drive.
2. The license agreement doesn't allow you to distribute the
registered version to other people.
3. INSTALL.EXE doesn't check for the PACKER.EXE, INSTALL.TXT,
ORDER.TXT and READ.ME files.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 4
WHAT IS SHAREWARE?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Shareware concept gives you a chance to "try" The Finishing Touch
before you "buy" it. If you try The Finishing Touch and decide to
distribute it as the installation portion of your software you are
required to register.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and
ImagiSOFT, Inc. retains all rights to The Finishing Touch. We
specifically grant you the right to copy and distribute this software,
under the limitations of the license agreement found below.
Shareware is a marketing method, not a type of software. The Shareware
system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can "try" before
you "buy". SHAREWARE HAS THE ULTIMATE MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE -- IF YOU
DON'T USE THE PRODUCT, YOU DON'T PAY FOR IT!
The Finishing Touch is a "shareware program" and is provided at no
charge to you for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends,
but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.
The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide you with quality
software without high prices, and yet to give us incentive to continue
to develop new products.
REGISTRATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you plan to distribute your software using The Finishing Touch you
must send a registration payment of $69.95 to:
ImagiSOFT, Inc.
Software Utilities Division
P.O. Box 13208
Albuquerque, NM 87192
Your $69.95 registration will license one copy of The Finishing Touch
which you can freely distribute as the installation portion of your
company's software. When you register we will send you the most recent
version along with printed documentation. Print an order form by using
the DOS command COPY ORDER.TXT LPT1: or send your check along with:
- Your Name
- Your Company's Name
- Mailing Address
- Disk Size (5.25" or 3.5")
You can order by credit card by calling (800) 767-1978 or
FAX (505) 275-9697
You are encouraged to pass a copy of The Finishing Touch along to your
friends and business associates for evaluation, but please encourage
them to register their copy if they like and use it.
In the UK you can register with The Thompson Partnership, Church Croft,
Bramshall, UTTOXETER, Staffs. ST14 5DE, Telephone 0889 564601
Fax 0889 563219. The UK Price is 49.95 Pounds pluse 3.00 pounds shipping.
Thank you for your support!
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 5
HOW TO REACH US FOR SUPPORT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have made The Finishing Touch as easy to use as possible. However,
if you have a problem, or find our documentation inadequate, we would
like to hear from you. You can reach us via U.S. Mail at:
ImagiSOFT, Inc.
Software Utilities Division
P.O. Box 13208
Albuquerque, NM 87192
You will get faster service from us via electronic mail or FAX:
Our CompuServe ID number is 70632,1177.
Our Prodigy ID number is FSWM11A.
Our FAX number is (505) 275-9697.
In the UK contact The Thompson Partnership
Church Croft,
Bramshall,
UTTOXETER,
Staffs.
ST14 5DE
Telephone 0889 564601
Fax 0889 563219
CompuServe 70007,5560
LICENSE AGREEMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The The Finishing Touch program and its documentation are copyrighted
works protected by U.S. and international copyright law. You are
granted a license to use your copy of The Finishing Touch only under
the terms and conditions specified in this license agreement.
The Finishing Touch is a commercial software product. It is not free,
nor is it in the public domain. It is distributed as Shareware, which
means that you may try the software before you pay for it. However,
you must stop using The Finishing Touch and remove it from your
computer if you decide not to pay the license fee.
You may freely copy The Finishing Touch for personal use. You may
also give copies of The Finishing Touch to others if they also agree
to the terms of this agreement.
USERS OF THE FINISHING TOUCH MUST ACCEPT THIS DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY:
THE FINISHING TOUCH IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND
PERFORMANCE IS WITH YOU. IMAGISOFT ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR
DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE
OF THE FINISHING TOUCH.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 6
DISTRIBUTING THE SHAREWARE VERSION OF THE FINISHING TOUCH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anyone distributing The Finishing Touch for any kind of remuneration
must first contact ImagiSOFT, Inc. at the address below for
authorization. This authorization is automatically granted to
distributors recognized by the Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and
such distributors may begin offering The Finishing Touch immediately;
however, ImagiSOFT, Inc. must still be advised so that the distributor
can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of The Finishing Touch.
If you are going to distribute The Finishing Touch in a compressed
file, please use the name FINISH.??? (.ZIP, .ARC, .LZH, etc). We would
appreciate if you would distribute our original FINISH.ZIP whenever
possible so that new users can be assured that they aren't receiving a
program infected with a virus.
Please include the following files in your distribution copy:
INSTALL.EXE Main program
INSTALL.FIL Sample The Finishing Touch script file
PACKER.EXE Software packing, archiving utility
INSTALL.TXT Registration info, license agreement, etc.
ORDER.TXT Order form
READ.ME Brief description, how to install, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The The Finishing Touch program checks for missing or
altered files. If any of the above files has been altered or is
missing, the program will exit to DOS. The registered version does not
have this restriction.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 7
HOW TO MAKE MASTER DISKS OF YOUR SOFTWARE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Creating a master set of software for duplication requires nine steps:
1. Install the software to the hard drive of the computer which
you will use to make your master disks.
2. Create any BATCH files which the end user will use to run the
software.
3. Format enough floppy disks to hold the complete software set.
4. Make labels for the master disks.
5. Write the script in the file INSTALL.FIL. This is by far the
most difficult step, and the most in depth part of this
documentation.
6. Copy two files, INSTALL.EXE and INSTALL.FIL to the 1st master
disk in the set.
7. Use the PACKER utility to compress and copy the software from
the hard drive to the master floppy disks.
8. Test your work.
9. Write a simple set of instructions for the end user to follow
on how to install your software.
Instructions on how to complete each step are as follows:
STEP 1: INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE TO YOUR HARD DRIVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The master set of software shouldn't reside in the same place as your
test software. The system colors and printer options must be generic.
Commonly used files which may be in your PATH such as BRUN30.EXE must
be in the initial directory from which your system runs.
The first thing you must decide is whether you want to force the user
into using a certain subdirectory name, or if you want him/her to input
their own directory name. An example of each method is discussed
below.
For the ImagiMOVIE Guide system, we want the user to install their
software in the \IMOVIE subdirectory, so we created the following
directories on our network:
\MASTER\M\IMOVIE
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 8
\MASTER is an empty directory, and is used solely for the sake of
organization.
For Chinese Checkers we want the user to input their own subdirectory
name, so we created a CHINESE subdirectory off \MASTER as follows:
\MASTER\CHINESE\
A graphic representation of our tree structure is as follows:
| |--CHINESE
| | |--DATA
R | |
O--MASTER--|--M--IMOVIE--|--SEARCH
O |
T |--CASTPICS
|
|
For The ImagiMOVIE GUIDE, the "M" subdirectory corresponds to the end
user's root directory, and contains MOVIE.BAT which we want installed
to the end user's root directory so they can run the ImagiMOVIE Guide.
After the end user installs the ImagiMOVIE Guide System, the "IMOVIE"
subdirectory, and all subdirectories below it, will be a branch off the
root directory of the end user's computer as follows:
| |--DATA
R |
O--IMOVIE--|--SEARCH
O |
T |--CASTPICS
MOVIE.BAT will be installed into the root directory.
Chinese Checkers, on the other hand will reside on the end user's hard
drive where he/she decides to put it. INSTALL.EXE reads a script file
(discussed in depth on pages 10 - 16) which you will write to tell the
end user what to do to install your software. The primary difference
between the script file for The ImagiMOVIE GUIDE and Chinese Checkers
is that the Chinese Checkers script file uses the PATH command and The
ImagiMOVIE GUIDE script file doesn't. (See APPENDIX A for an
explanation of the PATH command.)
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 9
STEP 2: BATCH FILES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As discussed on the preceding page, the "M" subdirectory contains
MOVIE.BAT which will run the ImagiMOVIE GUIDE software. MOVIE.BAT
issues four simple DOS commands:
cd \imovie
cls
movie
cd \
As mentioned earlier, we can include MOVIE.BAT with our software
because we forced the user to install his/her software into the \IMOVIE
subdirectory. If you are going to allow the user to install their
software in the subdirectory of their choosing, skip this step you may
want to write a batch file using the FILE command. See the FILE
command in APPENDIX A for a detailed example.
STEP 3: FORMATTING FLOPPY DISKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing you need to do is determine how much hard disk space
the software requires. Change to the \MASTER\M\ subdirectory of your
hard disk and enter the command DIR /S. Assuming you have DOS 5.0,
after displaying all the files in all the IMOVIE subdirectories, DOS
will display something similar to the following:
Total files listed:
51 File(s) 2414424 bytes
(If you don't have DOS 5.0 you will have to do a DIR of each
subdirectory and add the file sizes together. Good Luck!)
Unless you are certain that ALL the people you are going to distribute
disks to have high density floppy disks, it is good practice to make
your masters on low density diskettes. Low density disks are also more
tolerant of disk drives which are slightly out of alignment.
If you are supporting 5.25" disks, make sure you format your masters
under DOS 2.1 on a 360K disk drive. Older DOS versions have trouble
reading disks formatted with later versions of DOS. Also, low density
drives will NOT read a low density disk formatted or offloaded from a
high density drive.
3.5" diskettes are much more forgiving. Since 3.5" diskettes didn't
come into being until DOS 3.1, it doesn't matter as much which version
of DOS you use to format the disks. (To be absolutely sure, we use
FORMATQM. Sydex, P.O. Box 5700, Eugene, OR 97405, Voice (503) 683-
6033, FAX (503) 683-1622) to format our masters just in case, and have
found it consistently more reliable than DOS's FORMAT.) You can also
use a high density drive to format and offload low density diskettes.
To format a low density disk using a high density drive, use the
command:
FORMAT A: /N:9 /T:80
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 10
As a rule of thumb, PACKER will compress files by 50%. Calculating how
many disks are required is a simple formula:
TOTAL SPACE / CAPACITY / 2
For our ImagiMOVIE Guide example using low density disks the formula
is:
2414424 / 720000 = 3.35 / 2 = 2
STEP 4: MAKING LABELS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You should label the disks (except possibly the last one) before
offloading the software to make ABSOLUTELY certain that the disks don't
get mixed up during the offloading process.
STEP 5: WRITING THE SCRIPT FILE FOR INSTALL.EXE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is by far the most difficult step in creating master disks. Some
knowledge of programming is helpful in this step, but not mandatory.
In this step you are writing a computer program in the file INSTALL.FIL
which tells INSTALL.EXE what to do. You will need to use an ASCII
editor to create INSTALL.FIL. For a detailed description of each
command, see APPENDIX A SCRIPT FILE COMMANDS.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 11
SYSTEM COLORS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INSTALL.EXE detects monochrome cards and hard-codes black & white
colors. (Note: Laptop computers are NOT monochrome, but are black and
white color computers.) Make sure you test on a laptop to be certain
the colors are visible prior to distribution!
COLOR CHART
Color = Background * 16 + Foreground
----------------------------------------------------------------------
| BACKGROUND |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------
| Black Blue Green Cyan Red Magenta Brown White |
|====================================================================|
| | Black 0 16 32 48 64 80 96 112 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| F | Blue 1 17 33 49 65 81 97 113 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| O | Green 2 18 34 50 66 82 98 114 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| R | Cyan 3 19 35 51 67 83 99 115 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| E | Red 4 20 36 52 68 84 100 116 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| G | Magenta 5 21 37 53 69 85 101 117 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| R | Brown 6 22 38 54 70 86 102 118 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| O | White 7 23 39 55 71 87 103 119 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| U | Gray 8 24 40 56 72 88 104 120 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| N | Lt Blue 9 25 41 57 73 89 105 121 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| D | Lt Green 10 26 42 58 74 90 106 122 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Lt Cyan 11 27 43 59 75 91 107 123 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Lt Red 12 28 44 60 76 92 108 124 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Lt Mag 13 29 45 61 77 93 109 125 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Yellow 14 30 46 62 78 94 110 126 |
| |----------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Lt White 15 31 47 63 79 95 111 127 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want the color to flash, add 128 to any of the above numbers.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 12
HOW TO CREATE INSTALL.FIL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The best way to learn how to create INSTALL.FIL is to look at the
sample in detail. The following pages contain a listing of the
INSTALL.FIL that we created to install the free STAMP utility. It is
fully commented, and should provide adequate documentation for anyone
with rudimentary programming experience.
Note: empty program lines in INSTALL.FIL or those that begin with an
apostrophe are ignored by the INSTALL.EXE program.
======================== BEGINNING OF FILE =======================
' Sample Install Script
' Copyright 1992, ImagiSOFT, Inc.
' June 1, 1992
' NOTE: This script file takes a long time to load (and requires more
' disk space because it has lots of comments. The script files
' you create should well commented, but be sure to remove most
' of the comments on the final distribution copy so it will
' be as small as possible. There is a 400 line maximum for any
' one script file. However, this limitation can be overcome
' with the SCRIPT command.
' display cyan colored background (see color chart in docs)
BACKGROUND 63
' turn off "exploding" or telescoping windows for first window
' this will make the window instantly appear
TELESCOPE OFF
' display the heading in a window
' located at 18 characters across
' 2 rows down with a
' magenta background and high intensity white letters
WINOPEN 18 2 95
" ImagiSOFT, Inc."
"Where Imagination Brings Software to Life"
""
" Sample Installation Script File"
" (Loads a Free Utility)"
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 13
' WINOPEN 0 2 95 ' use this command instead
' to make sure the window is
' centered horizontally on
' turn on telescoping windows for the rest of the messages
TELESCOPE ON
' display all messages from this point on in a "shadowed" window
' the default is "OFF". This feature can be turned on and off as many
' times as you want
SHADOW ON
' Tell INSTALL the minimum amount of required disk space
SPACE 12 ' This sample is tiny, only 12K required.
' Prompt for the drive to install to:
DRIVE C 28 10 31 15 32 14 79
' C = drive C, the pre-stuffed drive letter
' 28 = locate window at 28 characters across
' 10 = and 10 rows down
' 31 = blue background and high intensity white foreground
' 15 = input on a black background with white letters
' 32 = error message located at 32 characters across
' 14 = and 14 rows down
' 79 = any error message will appear in a red window with
' high intensity white letters
' Prompt with default path \SAMPLE
' INSTALL.EXE will work the same way whether the user enters SAMPLE,
' \SAMPLE\, or \SAMPLE. Mutiple directories such as \SAMPLE\UTIL\FREE
' are also supported.
PATH \SAMPLE 12 10 31 15 32 14 79
' the numbers above represent window locations and colors. See the
' documentation for more details
' Unpack the files from the floppy drive.
UNPACK SAMPLE.PAK 24 10 31 32 14 79
' SAMPLE.PAK was compressed using the enclosed PACKER utility. This
' utility will compress files 50% or more depending on the file type.
' you should get compression results close to that of PKZIP.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 14
' the numbers above represent window locations and colors. See the
' documentation for more details
' just for fun, open the disk drive in the middle of the installation
' and see what happens.
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE
' Inform user that software installation is now complete
WINOPEN 0 10 31
"A FREE utility is now installed on your computer."
"To see what it is, use the following command:"
" CD\SAMPLE (or the name of the directory you"
"entered earlier). Our way of saying THANKS for"
"taking the time to review The Finishing Touch."
""
"Press the [Enter] key to continue."
' Wait for the user to press the [Enter] key so they can
' read the above window
WAIT 50 17
' the numbers above are the cursor location
' ------------------------
' exit the system normally
' ------------------------
' this will close any open windows and clear the screen
END
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 15
' ----------------------
' Installation Failure.
' It is a good idea to
' add a similar routine
' to the bottom of all
' script files.
' ----------------------
:INSTALL_FAILURE
' labels begin with a colon and can be up to 32 characters long.
WINOPEN 0 11 79
' the easiest way to center a message on the screen is to make
' either the x or y coordinates "0".
' 79 is a red window with white letters (good for error messages)
"THE INSTALLATION PROGRAM FAILED PRIOR TO COMPLETION"
""
"Possible reasons:"
" -- The floppy disk was removed prior to completion."
" -- The floppy disk was damaged during shipping."
" -- Your disk drive is out of alignment."
""
"Press [Enter] to remove incomplete program files."
WAIT 62 19
' delete all partial files using internal variables
' ~1 = the drive the user installed to (C: was the default)
' ~2 = the path the user installed to (\SAMPLE was the default)
DELETE ~1~2\*.* 0 0 31
' now remove the directory
RD ~1~2
WINCLOSE
WINOPEN 0 11 31
"Partially Installed Files are Now Deleted."
""
" Press [Enter] to Quit."
WAIT 47 14
======================== END OF SCRIPT FILE =======================
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 16
STEP 6: COPY FILES TO 1ST MASTER DISK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COPY INSTALL.EXE and INSTALL.FIL (newly created above) to master
diskette number one. You may want to copy a third file, TEMP.FIL which
is filled with about 2K of "padding" in case you need to make changes
to INSTALL.FIL later. Delete TEMP.FIL prior to final distribution.
STEP 7: USE THE PACKER UTILITY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make sure PACKER.EXE is in your PATH. We put it in our \UTIL directory
which is where we keep all our commonly used utilities such as PACKER.
Again, using ImagiMOVIE Guide as our example, move to the \MASTER\M\
subdirectory with the command CD \MASTER\M. (For Chinese Checkers move
to the \MASTER\CHINESE subdirectory with CD \MASTER\CHINESE.)
Enter the command:
PACKER A:IMOVIE.PAK *.* /S
A:IMOVIE.PAK is the name of the file that contains the
software in a compressed form. PACKER will
stretch this file across as many formatted
disks as it needs to.
NOTE: PACKER uses a very safe and reliable
compression algorithm and writes a 32 bit
CRC identification in the PACKED file to
ensure that INSTALL UNPACKS each file
correctly.
*.* means that PACKER will compress and copy
all files into IMOVIE.PAK. While you are
testing your first version of your edited
INSTALL.FIL, you may want to substitute
*.EXE here so that only a very small
IMOVIE.PAK file will be created for your
first round of testing.
/S is PACKER's instruction to include the
files in subdirectories too. In other
words, copy all the software, not just one
directory. In general, if you are PACKING
subdirectories, use the /S switch in
conjunction with the other options you have
selected, including /L and /X (see next
page).
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 17
OTHER COMMANDS FOR PACKER
/O means to overwrite the existing file. Use
this instruction if you are updating a set
of Master Disks.
/L will list the files in the packed file.
For example PACKER A:IMOVIE.PAK /L /S will
list the contents of the PACKED file,
including file name, date, time, CRC, and
compression percentage. Using the /L
switch will give you a clear idea of just
how effective our The Finishing Touch
utility is in reducing disk space!
/X will extract the files in the packed file.
Use the /X command when you need to extract
files without INSTALL.EXE's pretty
interface.
STEP 8: TEST YOUR WORK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The last step is to test your work. Install the software on a AT LEAST
ONE computer other than the one you created the masters from. Ideally,
this is a computer with nothing but DOS, CONFIG.SYS, and AUTOEXEC.BAT,
and no PATH or APPEND statements. This will prevent files in your PATH
from being found on your computer that probably won't be on the end
user's computer. It will also test the alignment of your disk drives.
Sometimes when disks are slightly out of alignment, diskettes formatted
and files copied on one computer will work just fine on that computer,
but the same disks tested on another computer will fail. (We use
CHECKIT to test our disk drives before offloading masters). Be sure to
test your disks on an LCD laptop to ensure that all your colors are
visible. Better yet--prompt the user with a window in the beginning
which asks "Can you see this in color Y/N?" and JUMP.NO to an identical
script using black and white colors. Try to install your disks to a
drive that doesn't have enough disk space (such as drive B:), and test
every option in your install script to make sure your script file
doesn't have "bugs".
STEP 9: WRITE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your instructions for the end user should be short, sweet and easy to
find. Something similar to the following three instructions is usually
enough:
1. Insert the 1st disk in a floppy drive.
2. Enter the command A:INSTALL (or B:INSTALL) and press the
[Enter] key. Follow the simple instructions as they appear on
the screen.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 18
3. After your software is installed, enter the command MOVIE from
your root directory to run the ImagiMOVIE GUIDE software.
IN SUMMARY
~~~~~~~~~~
The Finishing Touch is a flexible, powerful utility which will save you
THOUSANDS of dollars in diskette duplication fees, postage, mailers,
and installation support problems. We hope that you find it to be the
most useful, easy to use, and smallest installation program on the
market!
ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS MEMBERSHIP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ImagiSOFT, Inc. is a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-
related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly,
ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a
dispute or problem with an ASP
_______ member, but does not provide
____|__ | (r) technical support for members'
--| | |------------------- products. Please write to the
| ____|__ | Association of ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover
| | |_| Shareware Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or
|__| o | Professionals send a CompuServe message via
-----| | |--------------------- via CompuServe Mail to ASP
|___|___| Ombudsman 70007,3536.
THANK YOU!
~~~~~~~~~~
We at ImagiSOFT, Inc. would like to thank you, our customers, for using
The Finishing Touch. The financial support of our loyal customers has
made The Finishing Touch possible. We appreciate you very much.
Look for our graphics-oriented games and other ImagiSOFT products on
your local BBS or shareware vendor catalog.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. The Finishing Touch Page 19
APPENDIX A
SCRIPT FILE COMMANDS
ASK Command
Purpose: Wait for "Yes" or "No" response from user.
Parameters: ASK x y
x = x position of the cursor
y = y position of the cursor
Remarks: This command generally should be preceded by a WINOPEN
command, and will generally be followed by either JUMP.YES
or JUMP.NO.
If the LANGUAGE command has been issued in a language
other than ENGLISH, ASK will behave slightly differently;
instead of "y" or "n" (yes or no), ASK waits for "o" or
"n" (oui / non) if the LANGUAGE FRENCH command has been
given. In Spanish ASK waits until either an "s" or "n"
(si / no) key is pressed. If the LANGUAGE GERMAN command
has been given, INSTALL waits for the "j" or "n"
(jah / nign) to be pressed.
Example: WINOPEN 0 0 31
" Do You Want to Install"
"Sound Blaster Files Y or N?"
ASK 49 13
JUMP.NO EXIT_PROGRAM
The example above centers blue and white window on the
screen, locates the cursor 49 characters across and 13
rows down, then waits for the user to press the "Y", "y",
"N" or "n". If the "Y" key is pressed, the JUMP.NO
command is skipped and INSTALL.EXE processes the Sound
Blaster installation logic. If the "N" key is pressed,
INSTALL.EXE proceeds to the label EXIT_PROGRAM and the
Sound Blaster installation logic is skipped.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 20
BACKGROUND Command
Purpose: Sets background color
Parameters: BACKGROUND c
c = color numeric value between 0 - 255
(see color chart on page 12)
Remarks: Generally, this is the first command in the script file.
Example: BACKGROUND 63
Displays a cyan background and a high intensity white
foreground. Since the high intensity white foreground
doesn't show, choosing any of the numbers between 48 - 63
will display a cyan background.
Errors: None. If INSTALL.EXE detects a monochrome (not LCD)
monitor it uses a predefined color set.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 21
BEEP Command
Purpose: To cause the computer's internal speaker to "beep".
Parameters: BEEP
Remarks: You may want to use this command after an error message or
just prior to prompting for a new disk with the DISK
command. The trouble with using this command is that
internal messages and errors don't "beep", so your "beep"
command may appear to be inconsistent with the rest of the
software.
Example: BEEP
DISK 4 FOUR.FIL 0 0 31
The above example will issue a "beep" just prior to asking
the user to insert disk number 4.
Errors: None
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 22
COPY Command
Purpose: To copy files from one disk or directory to another.
Parameters: COPY f1 f2 x y c
f1 = the source file name. globals (*.*, ?) are valid.
f2 = the target file name.
x = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
y = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
c = numeric color value between 0 - 255 (see color chart)
Remarks: This command is similar to the COPY command in DOS. You
should generally include one or more of the internal
variables as part of the above file names when issuing the
COPY in your script file. See VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for
more information.
You may want to follow the COPY command with a JUMP.FAIL
command just in case there is something wrong with the
user's disk. The internal "fail" variable will get set if
the COPY command fails because of a disk error or the
user's installation disk is full.
Example 1: COPY ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAT ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAK
You should create a backup of the user's AUTOEXEC.BAT when
you modify it with the FILE or SET.PATH command. Similar
reasoning applies to modifying the user's CONFIG.SYS with
the FILE or SET.FILES commands.
Example 2: :LCD
DISK 2 CONTROL.LCD 0 0 31
COPY ~0\CONTROL.LCD ~1~2\CONTROL.FIL 0 0 31
JUMP.FAIL LCD
In this example the user has previously told us that they
are using an LCD laptop. We copy the file CONTROL.LCD
which has the default laptop screen color configuration on
top of the existing file CONTROL.FIL in the user's
selected installation drive and path.
Since at this point, we have already successfully
installed the software to the user's hard drive, we can
assume the only thing that would cause the JUMP.FAIL flag
to be set if the user prematurely opens the floppy drive,
which is why you see the above "endless loop" structure.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 23
CPU Command
Purpose: Test for a minimum required CPU type, 286 or 386.
Parameters: CPU p
p = minimum required processor type, 286 or 386
Remarks: Some programs are written to take advantage of certain 286
or 386 instructions which can enhance execution speed. If
your program requires one of these processors (or higher)
then use the CPU command as part of your installation
script. It should be immediately followed by a JUMP.YES
or JUMP.NO command.
Example: CPU 386
The above example tests for an 80386 as the minimum CPU
required for the software. If the computer has an 80386
or 80486 processor, the internal flag will be set to
"Yes"; if the computer has an 8088, 8086, or 80286 the
internal flag will be set to "No".
The next command should be JUMP.NO (JUMP.YES would work
equally as well depending on the logic of your script
file), for example:
JUMP.NO NO_386_CPU
The label :NO_386_CPU could have a WINOPEN command which
tells them that their computer doesn't have the minimum
required hardware, or it could have an UNPACK command
which contains an alternate program version.
See related commands JUMP.YES and JUMP.NO and LABELS in
APPENDIX B.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 24
DELETE Command
Purpose: Delete files from the installation disk.
Parameters: DELETE f x y c
f = the file name. globals (*.*, ?) are valid.
x = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
y = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
c = numeric color value between 0 - 255 (see color chart)
Remarks: This command is similar to the DEL command in DOS. You
should generally include one or more of the internal
variables as part of the file name when issuing the DELETE
in your script file. See VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for more
information.
You may want to follow the DELETE command with a JUMP.FAIL
command just in case there is something wrong with the
user's installation disk. The internal "fail" variable
will get set if the DELETE command fails because of a disk
error.
Example 1: DELETE ~1~2\DATA\*.* 0 0 31
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE
This example deletes all the files in a directory called
"DATA" beneath the main directory the user installed the
software to. The variable ~1 is the drive the user
installed to, and ~2 is the path the user installed to.
Example 2: VIDEO EGA ' test for ega monitor
JUMP.NO CGA_CONFIG ' no ega, jump to label
DELETE ~1~2\*.CGA 0 0 31 ' delete cga files
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE ' in case of disk error
JUMP DONE ' skip cga configuration
:CGA_CONFIG ' label
DELETE ~1~2\*.EGA 0 0 31 ' delete ega files
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE ' in case of disk error
:DONE ' label
This is an example where a game manufacturer has both EGA
and CGA screens for their game. The EGA screens have the
extension .EGA whereas the CGA screens have the extension
.CGA. The above logic first checks for an EGA (or better)
monitor. If it finds EGA it deletes the CGA screens,
otherwise it "jumps" to CGA_CONFIG which deletes the EGA
screens.
If your programs don't take up too much disk space you can
use a short script file which installs all the files from
the PACKED file then deletes any unused files such as in
the above example.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 25
DISK Command
Purpose: Prompt the user to insert one of the installation disks.
Parameters: DISK d f x y c
d = a numeric value equal to the disk number
f = the name of a file on the disk for verification
x = x position of the upper left hand corner of message
y = y position of the upper left hand corner of message
c = numeric color value (see color chart on page 12)
Remarks: Use the DISK command when you want to prompt for a disk
out of sequence, such as when using the ASK command and
UNPACKing several .PAK files. See the UNPACK command for
an example of using DISK to install a word processor which
uses several UNPACK commands.
Another way to use DISK is when you want to COPY a group
of files and want to ensure that the correct disk is
inserted prior to COPYing them. A creative combination of
the commands EXIST, JUMP.YES, DISK and COPY can help you
keep the same script file for both 5.25" and 3.50"
floppies.
If you prompt for disk "0", the DISK command will
increment the current disk counter by 1. This is useful
when you are using the same script file for both 3.5" and
5.25" floppies and the disk number is different for both
disk versions.
Note: When using the DISK command it is vital to have
DISK search for a unique file name which is not found on
any other disk in the installation set. If your script
directs DISK to search for a PACKed file on the disk, make
sure that the PACKed file does not span across disks or
INSTALL will return with a fatal error if the user inserts
the wrong disk! Create a 1 byte file such as FOUR.FIL to
tell DISK which disk is disk 4 if you have to!
Example: DISK 4 FOUR.FIL 0 0 31
The above command will display a blue window with white
letters, centered on the screen which reads:
Please insert disk 4.
Press the [Enter] key to continue.
This window will remain on the screen until the [Enter]
key is pressed and the disk is inserted which contains the
file FOUR.FIL.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 26
DOS Command
Purpose: Test for a minimum required DOS version.
Parameters: DOS v
v = minimum required DOS version.
Remarks: Some programs make DOS specific calls which may not be
available on earlier versions of DOS. If your program
requires a certain DOS version use the DOS command in your
installation script. It should be immediately followed by
a JUMP.YES or JUMP.NO command.
Example: DOS 3.3
The above example tests DOS version 3.3 as the minimum DOS
version required to run the software. If the computer has
DOS version 3.3 or above the internal flag will be set to
"Yes"; a lower version will set the internal flag to "No".
The next command should be JUMP.NO (JUMP.YES would work
equally as well depending on the logic of your script
file), for example:
JUMP.NO OLD_DOS
The label :OLD_DOS could have a WINOPEN command which
tells them that their computer doesn't have a recent
enough DOS version, or it could have an UNPACK command
which contains an alternate program version.
See related commands JUMP.YES and JUMP.NO and LABELS in
APPENDIX B.
Hint: If you are using the FILE command to write a batch
file use the DOS command to test for DOS 3.3 or above
before writing the file. If the DOS version is 3.3 or
higher, you can precede each command with "@" so the
command in your batch file won't be displayed on the
user's screen.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 27
DRIVE Command
Purpose: Prompt the user for the drive to install to.
Parameters: DRIVE d wx wy wc ic mx my mc
d = the pre-stuffed drive letter (C, D, E, F, etc.)
wx = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
wy = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
wc = the window color (see color chart on page 12)
ic = the input color (see color chart on page 12)
mx = error message window x position
my = error message window y position
mc = the error message color. Value between 0 - 255
(see color chart on page 12)
Remarks: The drive can be any value from A to Z. The DRIVE command
should generally be preceded by the SPACE command.
Issuance of DRIVE sets the variable ~1. See also the PATH
command.
Example: DRIVE C 28 10 31 15 32 14 79
C = pre-stuff the window with drive C as a default
28 = locate window at 28 characters across
10 = locate window at 10 rows down
31 = blue background window with bright white border
15 = input on black background with bright white letters
32 = error message located at 32 characters across
14 = error message located at 14 rows down
79 = errors displayed in a red window with white letters
If the user elects to install to drive C, in the example
above, the variable ~1 would equal C This variable adds
tremendous power to The Finishing Touch; see the WINOPEN,
MD, RD, COPY, DELETE, FILE, SHELL, and RUN commands for
examples.
Errors: Several errors can occur here which is why you must input
the coordinates and colors of the possible error message.
The first thing INSTALL.EXE does is to check to make sure
that the input drive exists. If the user selects an
invalid drive the error message
Drive <Drive>: is invalid.
will be displayed in the error message window.
If the SPACE command has been issued, the DRIVE command
checks for sufficient disk space. If there is not enough
space to install the program, the error message
No space on drive <Drive>. (<Amount>K needed)
will be displayed in the error message window.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 28
DRIVE Command (Continued)
If the user tries to install to a floppy drive which is
not ready the message
Drive <Drive>: is not ready.
will be displayed in the error message window.
If any of these errors occur, the user must enter a
different drive letter, correct the problem, or press the
[Esc] key to exit installation.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 29
EXIST Command
Purpose: To determine whether or not a file exists.
Parameters: EXIST f
f = file name and path. Globals (*.*, ?) are valid.
Remarks: The EXIST combined with the JUMP.NO / JUMP.YES commands is
important when the software you are installing is
dependent upon the existence of other previously installed
software, such as Microsoft Windows(tm). You should also
use it when you are sending an update to a previous
version.
EXIST looks for matching entries (both directories and
files will be found), and should always be used prior to
making or deleting a directory. See the MD and RD
commands for details.
EXIST is often followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in case
there is a fatal disk error on any of the user's disk
drives.
Example 1: :WINDOWS_PROMPT ' label for jump command
TELESCOPE OFF ' draw windows quickly
SHADOW ON ' shadow the window below
WINOPEN 7 4 31
""
" Tetris for Windows will be installed into the GAMES
directory " ' (connected to line above)
" beneath the directory where WINDOWS resides."
" Please enter the location of your WINDOWS directory:"
""
""
""
""
""
SHADOW OFF ' don't shadow path window
PATH \WINDOWS 8 9 17 15 32 14 79
EXIST ~1~2\WIN.COM ' test for proper entry
JUMP.NO WINDOWS_PROMPT ' wrong: jump back
The example above shows how the EXIST command is used to
create an error trap to ensure that the user correctly
informs INSTALL.EXE where the Windows directory is.
Hint: Notice that the above example uses color 17 (blue
on blue) as a technique to "hide" the outline and install
messages in the window that normally comes by issuing the
PATH command.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 30
END Command
Purpose: To end processing of the script file.
Parameters: END
Remarks: The END command works exactly the way the END command
works in BASIC -- it clears the screen and drops to DOS.
The END command is not necessary if your script file ends
on the last line, but usually, error messages are placed
at the end of the script file.
Example: .
.
.
END
' ---------------------
' error message section
' ---------------------
:NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY
The above example shows the main body of the script file
preceding the END command, and having the error messages
placed at the bottom. This is the recommended structure
for script files.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 31
FILE Command
Purpose: To append the end of a file with instructions from the
script file. This command will create the file if
necessary, and is useful for modifying AUTOEXEC.BAT,
CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI, and for creating batch files.
Parameters: FILE f
f = the file name
"All commands are held within quotes"
Remarks: The FILE command will generally be used in conjunction
with the internal variables ~0, ~1, ~2, and ~3. It should
generally be followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in case there
is a problem with one of the user's disks.
When using FILE to modify either the user's AUTOEXEC.BAT
or CONFIG.SYS file, use the COPY command to make a backup
file. You may want to use the VIEW command afterward so
that the user can see the changes you have made to these
files.
Example 1: COPY ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAT ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAK
FILE ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAT
"~1"
"cd ~2"
"menu"
This example of a menu program installation tacks three
commands at the bottom of AUTOEXEC.BAT -- after making a
backup first. The first command selects the installation
drive, the second changes to the installed directory, and
the third runs the menu program.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 32
FILE Command (Continued)
Example 2: DOS 3.3 ' check for DOS 3.3+
JUMP.NO OLD_DOS ' dos 3.2 or lower, jump
FILE ~1\TSA.BAT ' create tsa.bat in root
"@~1"
"@cd ~2"
"@sfpinit -b22 start.exe"
"@cd \"
JUMP DONE ' jump over old dos stuff
:OLD_DOS ' label
FILE ~1\TSA.BAT ' create tsa.bat in root
"~1"
"cd ~2"
"sfpinit -b22 start.exe"
"cd \"
:DONE ' finished
Example 2 illustrates how the FILE command can be used to
write a batch file in the root drive of the client's
installation disk so the user can run the software with a
simple command, in this case "TSA". It checks for DOS
version 3.3 or above where the at sign ("@") supresses the
line from being displayed on the screen. On DOS versions
3.2 or lower, a batch command beginning with "@" will not
be processed.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 33
FILE.DATE Command
Purpose: To check the date of a file.
Parameters: FILE.DATE f d
f = file name and path
d = date of file in MM-DD-YYYY format
Remarks: FILE.DATE combined with the JUMP.NO / JUMP.YES commands is
useful when you are sending an update for a previous
software version. Testing the file date is not "fool
proof", however, because some backup programs modify the
time and date of files. The FILE.SIZE command is
generally a more reliable method of testing for the
current software version.
FILE.DATE may be followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in case
there is a fatal disk error on the user's installation
disk drive.
Example: :TSA_PROMPT ' label for jump command
TELESCOPE OFF ' draw windows quickly
SHADOW ON ' shadow the window below
WINOPEN 15 2 31
"Tax Sheltered Annuity Software Update"
" July 1, 1992"
""
"Please enter the location of your TSA directory:"
""
""
""
""
""
SHADOW OFF ' no shadow path window
PATH \TSA 16 7 17 15 32 14 79 ' prompt for directory
EXIST ~1~2\TSA.EXE ' test for correct dir
JUMP.NO TSA_PROMPT ' wrong: jump back
FILE.DATE ~1~2\TSA.EXE 01-01-1992 ' test version
JUMP.NO MISSED_UPDATE ' wrong version
The example above shows one method of using INSTALL.EXE as
a software update program. If the file date on TSA.EXE is
not equal to January 1, 1992 INSTALL.EXE jumps to a
message where the user is told that they have missed an
update, and to contact the home office for more
information.
Hint: Notice that the above example uses color 17 (blue
on blue) as a technique to "hide" the outline and install
messages in the window that normally comes by issuing the
PATH command.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 34
FILE.SIZE Command
Purpose: To check the size of a file.
Parameters: FILE.SIZE f s
f = file name and path
s = size of file in bytes
Remarks: FILE.SIZE combined with the JUMP.NO / JUMP.YES commands is
useful when you updating a previous software version.
After the EXIST command has been issued to ensure you are
in the proper directory, issue the FILE.SIZE command to
make sure they have the latest version of the software.
You can also run FILE.SIZE on WIN.COM in the Windows
directory to test which version of Windows is installed.
FILE.SIZE may be followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in case
there is a fatal disk error on the user's installation
disk drive.
Example: :TSA_PROMPT ' label for jump command
TELESCOPE OFF ' draw windows quickly
SHADOW ON ' shadow the window below
WINOPEN 15 2 31
"Tax Sheltered Annuity Software Update"
" July 1, 1992"
""
"Please enter the location of your TSA directory:"
""
""
""
""
""
SHADOW OFF ' no shadow path window
PATH \TSA 16 7 17 15 32 14 79 ' prompt for directory
EXIST ~1~2\TSA.EXE ' test for correct dir
JUMP.NO TSA_PROMPT ' wrong: jump back
FILE.SIZE ~1~2\TSA.EXE 65322 ' test version
JUMP.NO MISSED_UPDATE ' wrong version
The example above shows one method of using INSTALL.EXE as
a software update program. If the file size of TSA.EXE is
not equal to 65322 then INSTALL.EXE jumps to a message
where the user is told that they have missed an update,
and to contact the home office for more information.
Hint: Notice that the above example uses color 17 (blue
on blue) as a technique to "hide" the outline and install
messages in the window that normally comes by issuing the
PATH command.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 35
JUMP Command
Purpose: To skip certain instructions by "jumping" over them.
Parameters: JUMP l
l = Label in your installation script file
Remarks: This command is similar to the GOTO command in BASIC; it
is an unconditional "jump" to another location in your
installation script, called a "label". It is useful when
different parts of your installation perform different
functions. For example, you might install different files
for computers which have EGA monitors than have CGA
monitors.
Note: Labels always begin with a colon, reside on lines
by themselves, and don't exceed 32 characters in length.
Any ASCII character greater than 32 (the "space"
character) is valid. See LABELS in APPENDIX B for more
information.
Example: JUMP CGA_CONFIG
.
.
.
:CGA_CONFIG
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 36
JUMP.FAIL Command
Purpose: To ascertain whether a critical procedure in the
installation process "fails".
Parameters: JUMP.FAIL l
l = Label in your installation script file
Remarks: This command is similar to a IF FLAG THEN GOTO command in
BASIC; it is a conditional "jump" to another location in
your installation script, called a "label". This command
is useful if the unexpected causes your installation to
"fail". Commands which can set the internal "fail" flag
are: COPY, DELETE, EXIST, FILE, FILE.DATE, FILE.SIZE, MD,
RD, SET.FILES, SET.PATH, UNPACK, and VIEW.
Note: Labels always begin with a colon, reside on lines
by themselves, and don't exceed 32 characters in length.
Any ASCII character greater than 32 (the "space"
character) is valid. See LABELS in APPENDIX B for more
information.
Example: SET.FILES 32
JUMP.FAIL BAD_FILES
.
.
:BAD_FILES
.
.
END
In the above example the SET.FILES command will make sure
that the FILES statement in CONFIG.SYS is set to at least
32. An error could occur due to a number of conditions:
-- CONFIG.SYS is flagged as READ ONLY.
-- The boot disk is not available or ready.
-- The installation disk is full.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 37
JUMP.NO Command
Purpose: To skip certain instructions by conditionally "jumping"
over them.
Parameters: JUMP.NO l
l = Label in your installation script file
Remarks: This command is similar to a IF FLAG THEN GOTO command in
BASIC; it is a conditional "jump" to another location in
your installation script, called a "label". It is useful
when you different parts of your installation perform
different functions. For example, you might install
different files for computers which have EGA monitors than
have CGA monitors.
JUMP.NO should be preceded by a command which sets the
internal variable to either "Yes" or "No". These commands
are: ASK, CPU, EXIST, MOUSE, and VIDEO. A closely
related command is the JUMP.YES command.
Note: Labels always begin with a colon, reside on lines
by themselves, and don't exceed 32 characters in length.
Any ASCII character greater than 32 (the "space"
character) is valid. See LABELS in APPENDIX B for more
information.
Example: VIDEO EGA ' test for EGA or better
JUMP.NO CGA_CONFIG ' not EGA jump to CGA
' ega system logic resides here
JUMP EXIT_INSTALL ' jump over CGA logic
' configure computer for cga system
:CGA_CONFIG
' cga system logic resides here
:EXIT_INSTALL
The above example tests whether the computer has an EGA or
better monitor, which sets the internal flag to "YES". If
the computer has an EGA or better monitor, the JUMP.NO
command isn't activated, so the script continues with the
EGA system logic directly under the JUMP.NO command. If
the computer doesn't have an EGA or better monitor, the
JUMP.NO command "jumps" to the label CGA_CONFIG and
continues with the script.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 38
JUMP.YES Command
Purpose: To skip certain instructions by conditionally "jumping"
over them.
Parameters: JUMP.YES l
l = Label in your installation script file
Remarks: This command is similar to a IF FLAG THEN GOTO command in
BASIC; it is a conditional "jump" to another location in
your installation script, called a "label". It is useful
when you different parts of your installation perform
different functions. For example, you might install
different files for computers which have EGA monitors than
have CGA monitors.
JUMP.YES should be preceded by a command which sets the
internal variable to either "Yes" or "No". These commands
are: ASK, CPU, EXIST, MOUSE, and VIDEO. A closely
related command is the JUMP.NO command.
Note: Labels always begin with a colon, reside on lines
by themselves, and don't exceed 32 characters in length.
Any ASCII character greater than 32 (the "space"
character) is valid. See LABELS in APPENDIX B for more
information.
Example: VIDEO EGA ' test for EGA or better
JUMP.YES EGA_CONFIG ' if EGA jump to EGA
' non-EGA system logic resides here
JUMP EXIT_INSTALL ' jump over EGA logic
' configure computer for ega system
:EGA_CONFIG
' ega system logic resides here
:EXIT_INSTALL
The above example tests whether the computer has an EGA or
better monitor, which sets the internal flag to "YES". If
the computer has an EGA or better monitor, the JUMP.YES
command "jumps" to the label EGA_CONFIG and continues with
the script. If the computer doesn't have at least an EGA,
the script ignores the JUMP.YES command and continues with
the logic under the JUMP.YES command.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 39
LANGUAGE Command
Purpose: To display INSTALL.EXE's system and error messages in the
English, French, German, or Spanish language.
Parameters: LANGUAGE l
l = the desired language.
Remarks: The default language is English, which will be the
language of all INSTALL.EXE's message if the LANGUAGE
command is not given. If one of the other three supported
languages is being used, the LANGUAGE statement should be
one of the first commands in the script.
The ASK command works slightly differently depending on
the LANGUAGE selected. See the ASK command for details.
Examples: LANGUAGE FRENCH
LANGUAGE GERMAN
LANGUAGE SPANISH
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 40
MEMORY Command
Purpose: To make sure the computer has sufficient base memory
installed to run the program.
Parameters: MEMORY m
m = minimum base memory required in K bytes
Remarks: This command is useful, but has its limitations. It only
tests the amount of base memory installed in the computer;
it doesn't measure free memory which will be different due
to TSRs, DOS, FILES, BUFFERS, etc., and it doesn't test
for expanded or extended memory. It should always be
followed by either JUMP.YES or JUMP.NO.
Example: MEMORY 512
JUMP.NO NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY
The above example tests to see if the computer has at
least 512K of memory installed; if the computer has less
it jumps to the label NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY where an error
message is displayed.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 41
MD Command
Purpose: Make a directory on the installation disk.
Parameters: MD d
d = the directory name.
Remarks: This command is similar to the MD command in DOS. You
should generally include one or more of the internal
variables as part of the directory name when issuing the
MD in your script file. See VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for
more information.
You may want to follow the MD command with a JUMP.FAIL
command just in case there is something wrong with the
user's installation disk. The internal "fail" variable
will get set if the MD command fails because of a disk
error or if you try to make a directory which already
exists. If there is any possibility that the directory
already exists, use the EXIST command prior to issuing the
MD command.
Example 2: MD ~1~2\DATA
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE
This example creates a new directory called "DATA" beneath
the main directory the user installed the software to.
The variable ~1 is the drive the user installed to, and ~2
is the path the user installed to.
Example 2: EXIST ~1\CHINESE
JUMP.YES SKIP_MD
MD ~1\CHINESE
:SKIP_MD
This example first tests to see whether the "CHINESE"
directory exists in the root directory of the installation
disk. If it exists, JUMP.YES "jumps over" the MD command.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 42
MOUSE Command
Purpose: Test for a minimum required Microsoft mouse compatible
driver version number.
Parameters: MOUSE v
v = minimum required MOUSE version.
Remarks: Some programs make MOUSE specific calls which may not be
available on earlier versions of MOUSE. If your program
requires a certain MOUSE version use the MOUSE command in
your installation script. MOUSE should be immediately
followed by a JUMP.YES or JUMP.NO command.
Example: MOUSE 0.0
The above example tests for the existence of a mouse, but
doesn't care which version is installed. This is the most
common use of this command. If the a Microsoft compatible
mouse is detected the internal flag will be set to "Yes",
otherwise the flag will be set to "No".
The next command should be JUMP.NO or JUMP.YES depending
on the logic of your script file.
See related commands JUMP.YES and JUMP.NO and LABELS in
APPENDIX B.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 43
PATH Command
Purpose: Prompt user for the DOS PATH they want to install their
software to.
Parameters: PATH p wx wy wc ic mx my
p = the pre-stuffed path
wx = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
wy = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
wc = numeric window color (see color chart on page 12)
ic = numeric input color (see color chart on page 12)
mx = error message window x position
my = error message window y position
mc = numeric error message color (see color chart page 12)
Remarks: 24 characters are allowed at this prompt. This command is
not required, but is recommended for most installations.
It should be preceded with the DRIVE command. Issuance of
this command sets the variable ~2.
Example: PATH IMOVIE 12 10 31 15 32 14 79
IMOVIE = pre-stuff the input with IMOVIE as a default path
12 = locate window at 12 characters across
10 = locate window at 10 rows down
31 = blue background window with bright white border
15 = input on black background with bright white letters
32 = error message located at 32 characters across
14 = error message located at 14 rows down
79 = errors displayed in a red window with white letters
Errors: If the user backspaces over the default path name and
presses [Enter] (and thereby entering a null string) the
error message
Please enter the directory name.
is displayed.
If the user enters invalid characters or for any other
reason the directory cannot be created the error message
The directory cannot be created.
is displayed.
If either of these errors occur, the user must re-enter a
valid PATH name or press the [Esc] key to exit
installation.
NOTE: If the user types in a path name which is too long,
The Finishing Touch uses DOS conventions--it truncates
everything past the eighth character. If the user forgets
to put a leading "\" or forgets to end with a "\", The
Finishing Touch provides it.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 44
PRINT Command
Purpose: Allow the user to print an ASCII file from LPT1.
Parameters: PRINT f
f = file name
Remarks: The PRINT command gives you an easy way to print ASCII
files for the user such as READ.ME and AUTOEXEC.BAT.
PRINT sets the JUMP.FAIL flag, if it cannot print the file
to LPT1. You should display an error message displaying
the following possible error conditions:
-- Printer is not turned on
-- Printer is out of paper
-- Printer not attached to LPT1 (parallel port 1)
-- Disk is defective
-- Disk drive is not ready
Example: :PRINT_ORDER_FORM ' label to jump back to
PRINT ~0\ORDER.TXT ' print file from install drive
JUMP.FAIL ERROR.MESSAGE ' jump on fatal error
JUMP CONTINUE ' print successful, skip next
:ERROR.MESSAGE ' label for error condition
WINOPEN 0 0 31 ' open the following window
"Your printer is not responding. Possible problems:"
" -- Printer is not turned on"
" -- Printer is out of paper"
" -- Printer is not attached to LPT1 (parallel port 1)"
""
"Do you want to try to print again (Y or N)?"
ASK 53 20 ' prompt for Y or N key
WINCLOSE ' close the window
JUMP.YES PRINT_ORDER_FORM ' y key pressed, print
:CONTINUE ' done with printing
This example shows how to use the PRINT command, and how
to write an error trap for printer failure.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 45
RD Command
Purpose: Remove a directory.
Parameters: RD d
d = the directory name.
Remarks: This command is similar to the RD command in DOS. You
should generally include one or more of the internal
variables as part of the directory name when issuing the
RD in your script file. See VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for
more information.
RD is usually accompanied by DELETE to avoid an error
which results from trying to remove a directory which
contains files.
You may want to follow the RD command with a JUMP.FAIL
command just in case there is something wrong with the
user's installation disk. The internal "fail" variable
will get set if the RD command fails because of a disk
error, if you try remove a directory which does not exist,
or remove a directory which is not empty . If there is
any possibility that the directory does not exist, use the
EXIST command prior to issuing the RD command.
Example: DELETE ~1~2\DATA\*.* 0 0 31
RD ~1~2\DATA
JUMP.FAIL INSTALL_FAILURE
This example deletes all the files in a directory called
"DATA" beneath the main directory the user installed the
software to, then removes that directory. The variable ~1
is the drive the user installed to, and ~2 is the path the
user installed to.
Example 2: EXIST ~1\CHINESE
JUMP.NO SKIP_RD
DELETE ~1\CHINESE\*.* 0 0 31
RD ~1\CHINESE
:SKIP_RD
This example first tests to see whether the "CHINESE"
directory exists in the root directory of the installation
disk. If the directory doesn't exist, JUMP.NO "jumps over"
the RD command to avoid setting the internal fatal error
variable.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 46
REBOOT Command
Purpose: Instruct the computer to perform a "warm boot".
Parameters: REBOOT
Remarks: If you use REBOOT it should obviously be the last command
in your script file. It is equivalent to instructing the
user to press the CTRL ALT and DEL keys simultaneously.
This command is only generally only recommended if your
script file modifies the files in CONFIG.SYS using the
SET.FILES command. It sometimes makes sense after the
script file has changed AUTOEXEC.BAT too.
Example: WINOPEN 0 0 79
"This program may have increased the number of files"
"in your CONFIG.SYS file, and therefore, to prevent"
"errors, it is necessary to REBOOT YOUR COMPUTER."
""
"To run the TSA software, enter the command"
" TSA"
"after you turn your computer on."
""
""
"Press [Enter] to REBOOT your computer."
WAIT 16 63
REBOOT
As you can see from the above example, it is always a good
idea to inform the user that you are about to reboot their
computer and why.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 47
RUN Command
Purpose: To run a DOS command, utility or program without returning
to the installation script.
Parameters: RUN p
p = the name of the program you want to run.
Remarks: RUN's most common function is to run the program you just
installed, but any program or batch file can be run with
the RUN command.
Example: RUN ~1~2\MYPROG
The above example changes to the installation drive,
changes to the installation directory, then fills the
keyboard buffer with the command MYPROG then exits to DOS.
See VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for more information.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 48
SCRIPT Command
Purpose: Load and run a different installation script.
Parameters: SCRIPT f
f = the file name.
Remarks: Each script file is limited to 400 lines. We imposed this
limit for the following reasons:
- long script files take a long time initially to load
- we didn't want The Finishing Touch to take so much
memory the SHELL command wouldn't work.
- script files for large programs are usually easier to
debug and work with if they are broken into several
smaller script files rather than one long one.
Example: VIDEO EGA ' check for EGA or better
JUMP.NO MCGA_INSTALL ' no ega, install mcga
EXIST EGA.FIL ' check for EGA.FIL
JUMP.YES LOAD.EGA ' found, don't prompt
DISK 2 EGA.FIL 0 0 31 ' prompt to insert disk 2
:LOAD.EGA ' label for jump command
SCRIPT EGA.FIL ' load and process EGA script
In the above example, a game company has a different
installation script for EGA, MCGA, and CGA monitors. The
above example shows how good error checking and multiple
script files can make The Finishing Touch an elegant, easy
to use, and truly useful tool!
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 49
SET.FILES Command
Purpose: Insure that the number of files in the FILES statement of
CONFIG.SYS is at least equal to a specified minimum
number.
Parameters: SET.FILES n
n = the minimum number of files
Remarks: If the FILES statement exists in CONFIG.SYS, the SET.FILES
will evaluate the number of files in the existing FILES
statement. If the current number of files exceeds the
number specified in the SET.FILES command no change will
be made to CONFIG.SYS. However, if the FILES statement
does not exist or the number of files is less than the
number specified in the SET.FILES command, SET.FILES will
change the FILES statement in CONFIG.SYS to the number
specified in the SET.FILES command.
SET.FILES is generally followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in
case a disk error occurs. See JUMP.FAIL for more
information.
SET.FILES is usually followed by REBOOT. See the REBOOT
command for a detailed example.
Example: SET.FILES 16
JUMP.FAIL ABORT_INSTALL
This example makes sure the FILES statement in CONFIG.SYS
is at least equal to 16. If, for example, the user's
CONFIG.SYS included the statement FILES = 32, no change
would be made to the user's CONFIG.SYS file. On the other
hand, if there was no FILES command in the user's
CONFIG.SYS, the statement FILES = 16 would be added.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 50
SET.PATH Command
Purpose: Add a directory name in the PATH statement of
AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Parameters: SET.PATH d
d = directory name to add to the PATH statement
Remarks: If the PATH statement exists in AUTOEXEC.BAT, the SET.PATH
will add the directory at the end of the PATH statement.
If the PATH statement does not exist, SET.PATH will create
a new PATH statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT containing the
specified directory name. The most common use of SET.PATH
is to insert the drive and path where the software was
installed using the internal variables ~1 and ~2. See
VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for details.
SET.PATH is generally followed by a JUMP.FAIL command in
case a disk error occurs. See JUMP.FAIL for more
information.
SET.PATH is also sometimes is followed by REBOOT.
Example: SET.PATH ~1~2
JUMP.FAIL ABORT_INSTALL
The example adds the drive and path where the software was
installed to the PATH statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 51
SHADOW Command
Purpose: To turn shadowed windows on or off.
Parameters: SHADOW o
o = either on or off.
Remarks: The default is to have shadowed windows "off". This
command can be issued over and over again.
Example 1: SHADOW ON
The above example adds "depth" to the screen display and
draws the users eye to the current window.
Example 2: SHADOW OFF
You should turn shadowed windows "off" when you are
opening windows on top of one another. See the example
given for the EXIST command for a detailed explanation.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 52
SHELL Command
Purpose: To run a DOS command, utility or program then return to
the installation script.
Parameters: SHELL
"command 1"
"command 2"
Remarks: The shell command clears the screen, "shells" to DOS,
loads another copy of COMMAND.COM into memory, then runs
the list of DOS commands, returns, then restores the
screen. This command is supported because it is the only
way to add total flexibility to The Finishing Touch. Make
sure the utilities and commands that you "shell" require a
small amount of memory or you may have trouble with this
command.
Example: SHELL
"~1~2\MYUTIL"
This example clears the screen, runs the program
MYUTIL.EXE which was installed in the installation drive
and path of the user's computer (see VARIABLES in
APPENDIX B), then returns.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 53
SPACE Command
Purpose: To tell INSTALL the minimum amount of disk space which is
required by the software being installed.
Parameters: SPACE r
r = minimum required disk space in K bytes
Remarks: The SPACE command should precede the DRIVE command.
Remember that the minimum space required is not the sum
total of the file sizes reported by DOS, it depends upon
the hard drive's minimum allocation unit (usually 2K).
For example, 100 10 byte files doesn't fill only 1000
bytes of disk space, it fills 200,000 bytes on most
systems. For an accurate measure of the required disk
space use Peter Norton's FI utility on a large hard drive.
It is a good practice to use a liberal SPACE requirement--
especially if your software creates data files after it is
installed.
Example: SPACE 1024
This would indicate that at least a megabyte is required
on the destination disk or an error message will be
returned when the DRIVE command is issued.
Errors: None reported when this call is issued; insufficient disk
space is reported after the DRIVE command is issued.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 54
TELESCOPE Command
Purpose: To turn telescoping (or exploding) windows on or off.
Parameters: TELESCOPE o
o = either on or off.
Remarks: The default is to have telescoping windows "on". This
command can be issued as often as is needed.
Example 1: TELESCOPE ON
The above example gives windows a little more pizazz and
draws the users eye to the current window.
Example 2: TELESCOPE OFF
Turning telescoping windows "off" makes them appear
instantly on the screen, and is especially useful when you
are opening more than one window at a time or windows on
top of one another.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 55
UNPACK Command
Purpose: Unpack a compressed file and copy the contents to the hard
drive in the drive and path returned from the commands
DRIVE and PATH.
Parameters: UNPACK f wx wy wc mx my mc
f = file name
wx = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
wy = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
wc = numeric window color (see color chart on page 12)
mx = error message window x position
my = error message window y position
mc = numeric error message color (see color chart page 12)
Remarks: If UNPACK is not preceded by the DRIVE and PATH commands
The Finishing Touch will assume drive C: and the PATH
hard-coded into your PACKER file. (The ImagiMOVIE Guide is
a legitimate example of using a hardcoded PATH as
discussed previously in this documentation, but this is
the exception rather than the rule).
UNPACK always "unpacks" from the installation drive (~0)
to the destination drive and path (~1~2). You cannot use
variables with the UNPACK command.
It is valid to have more than one UNPACK command in your
script if your program has several modules or different
configuration options. See the ASK command for related
information.
Example: UNPACK IMOVIE.PAK 24 10 31 32 14 79
IMOVIE.PAK = the name of the PACKED file which contains
the ImagiMOVIE Guide System. This filename
can be any name you want.
24 = locate window at 12 characters across
10 = locate window at 10 rows down
31 = blue background window with bright white border
32 = prompt/error message located at 32 characters across
14 = prompt/error message located at 14 rows down
79 = prompt/errors displayed in a red and white window
Errors: UNPACK does a 32 bit CRC check on each file as it is
uncompressed. If the CRC check fails or there is a disk
error the user will see the message
Cannot unpack files.
displayed on their screen. This means the user's disk
media is bad, their disk drives are out of alignment,
their disk is full, or that they opened the floppy drive
before being prompted to insert the next disk. If an
error occurs the internal "fail" variable will be set. It
a good idea to follow the UNPACK command with a JUMP.FAIL
command. See the sample install script on page 14 for an
example.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 56
UNPACK Command (Continued)
Prompt: UNPACK knows which is the next disk in the set and will
display the prompt
Please insert disk <Number>.
in a message window at the appropriate time.
This is true even if you have prompted for a different
disk earlier. For example, the installation script for
the word processor software you are sending out UNPACKs
WP.PAK on disk 1 and 2. You complete WP.PAK and ASK the
user if they would like to install "magic fonts" which are
contained on disk 2, 3, and 4. They say "no" and your
script uses the DISK command to prompt for disk 4. You
issue another UNPACK command and start to unpack the
dictionary files. UNPACK will know when it needs to
prompt for the next disk and that, in this case, it should
ask for disk 5.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 57
VIDEO Command
Purpose: To check for a minimum required monitor type, either CGA,
EGA, VGA, or MCGA.
Parameters: VIDEO m
m = CGA, EGA, VGA, or MCGA
Remarks: This command should be one of the first commands in your
script file, and should be followed immediately by a
JUMP.NO command. Many software programs, especially
graphics-oriented systems require minimum screen hardware.
Proper use of the VIDEO command followed by the JUMP.NO
command will help the user configure their computer
properly. See JUMP.YES and JUMP.NO commands and sample
script files for examples of how to use these commands to
their full potential.
Example: VIDEO EGA
Which tests for the existence of an EGA monitor (or
better). If it is found it sets the internal flag to
"Yes", if not, the internal flag is set to "No".
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 58
VIEW Command
Purpose: Allow the user to view an ASCII file.
Parameters: VIEW f c1 c2
f = file name
c1 = heading color numeric value (see color chart)
c2 = file text color numeric value (see color chart)
Remarks: The VIEW command will allow the user to view most ASCII
files. A file which is longer than available free memory
(about 100 - 200K) will not be loaded.
This command is useful when you have modified the user's
AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS and you want the display the
new file on the screen.
VIEW displays the file in 25 line mode. The top line
gives the user information about the file, it's name,
date, time, number of lines and file length. The 25th
line informs the user which keys are valid: the arrows,
PgUp, PgDn, and [Enter] or [Esc] to view the next file.
VIEW sets the JUMP.FAIL flag, but it usually isn't
necessary to error trap after a VIEW statement.
Example: VIEW ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAT 79 31
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 59
WAIT Command
Purpose: Wait for the [Enter] key, usually so the user can read,
and respond to a message in a window by pressing the
[Enter] key.
Parameters: WAIT x y
x = x position of the cursor
y = y position of the cursor
Remarks: This command should generally follow the WINOPEN command.
Example: WAIT 50 17
This example will locate the cursor 50 characters across
and 17 rows down will wait for the user to hit the [Enter]
key.
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 60
WINCLOSE Command
Purpose: To close the last window opened with WINOPEN.
Parameters: WINCLOSE
Remarks: WINCLOSE closes the last window opened. Windows are
nested, so that if window 1, window 2, and window 3 were
open, WINCLOSE would close window 3, then window 2, and
lastly window 1. See the WINOPEN command.
Note: If WINCLOSE is issued without being preceded by
WINOPEN, a fatal error will occur and INSTALL.EXE will
drop to DOS. As with all programming languages, make sure
you test all possibilities before distributing your
program.
Example: WINCLOSE
Errors: None.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 61
WINOPEN Command
Purpose: WINOPEN opens "windows" to display messages from your
script file to the user.
Parameters: WINOPEN x y c
"The next lines contain the contents"
"of the windows you want to display."
x = the x position of the upper left corner of the window
y = the y position of the upper left corner of the window
c = numeric color value between 0 - 255 (see color chart)
These parameters are followed by a series of successive
quoted strings.
Remarks: The width of the window is determined by amount of space
between the quotes of the longest line. The height of the
window is determined by the number of successive quoted
strings you put in the script file.
You can have up to 20 windows open at the same time. The
last window opened is closed with the WINCLOSE command.
Windows are nested, so that if window 1, window 2, and
window 3 were open, WINCLOSE would close window 3.
All windows are surrounded by a single line. WINOPEN adds
a space to the right and left edges of the window so that
visually the line appears evenly spaced. The maximum
number of characters that will fit in a window is 76. To
center the window on the screen, enter "0" in the x or y
coordinate, or both.
WINOPEN is often followed by the WAIT and ASK commands.
Examples: WINOPEN 18 2 95
" ImagiSOFT, Inc."
"Where Imagination Brings Software to Life"
""
" ImagiMOVIE GUIDE Installation"
This example opens a magenta window with high intensity
white letters and border. The upper left corner of the
window will be placed 18 columns across and 2 rows down.
WINOPEN 0 2 31
"Installing the ImagiMOVIE GUIDE to ~1~2 . . ."
This example opens a blue and white window which is
located 2 rows down and centered on the screen. The
variables ~1 and ~2 represent the drive and path. See
VARIABLES in APPENDIX B for details.
Errors: If you make your window too wide or two long INSTALL will
drop to DOS and display "Window too large on line xx".
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Script File Commands Page 62
APPENDIX B
OTHER FEATURES OF THE FINISHING TOUCH
RENAMING INSTALL.EXE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INSTALL.EXE always loads the first script file with the same name that
it is named plus the extension ".FIL", so the first thing INSTALL.EXE
tries to do is load the script file INSTALL.FIL into memory. If,
you want to use INSTALL.EXE as an update program, simply rename it to
UPDATE.EXE and name your script file UPDATE.FIL. If you are writing a
script file in another language, rename INSTALL.EXE to a suitable file
name. For example, rename INSTALL.EXE to INSTALE.EXE for a script file
written in Spanish.
LABELS
~~~~~~
Labels are similar to line numbers in BASIC; they give INSTALL.EXE a
place to "jump" to with the JUMP, JUMP.NO, JUMP.YES, and JUMP.FAIL
commands. Labels have the following attributes:
-- They always begin with a colon
-- Labels must reside on a line all by themselves
-- Labels cannot exceed 32 characters in length
-- They can use any ASCII character greater than 32 ("space")
Examples of Valid Labels:
:EXIT_TO_DOS
:ExitToDOS
:Exit.To.DOS
Examples of Invalid Labels:
EXIT_TO_DOS
:EXIT TO DOS
See the documentation in APPENDIX A for the JUMP, JUMP.NO, JUMP.YES,
and JUMP.FAIL commands for detailed examples on how to use labels
properly.
INTERNAL VARIABLES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INSTALL.EXE keeps track of four internal variables which may be used in
your installation script:
~0 is the drive and path where the software is being installed from,
sometimes called the "source" directory. This is usually A: or
B:, but INSTALL.EXE and its related files can just as easily
reside on a hard drive--especially if those files were downloaded
from a BBS, in which case ~0 might be C:\DOWNLOAD for example.
COPY is the most likely command to use with ~0.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Other Features of The Finishing Touch Page 63
~1 is the drive letter that you are installing to, for example, C:.
This variable is necessary to create a file in the root directory
of the user's installation drive (see the FILE command for an
example of creating a batch file). ~1 is also needed to create a
subdirectory on the user's installation drive (see MD for an
example). This variable is set by the DRIVE command. If no
DRIVE command is issued in the script file ~1 will be set to C:.
~2 is the path where the software is installed, generally selected
by the user with the PATH command. If no PATH command is issued
in the script file ~2 will be set to the root.
~2 is often combined with the variable ~1. For example:
COPY ~1~2\CONTROL.LCD ~1~2\CONTROL.FIL 0 0 31
copies the file CONTROL.LCD on top of the file CONTROL.FIL in the
directory where the user installed their software.
~3 is the boot drive and path of the user's computer, as determined
by the location COMMAND.COM, and will usually be C:\. This is
necessary when you are changing the user's AUTOEXEC.BAT or
CONFIG.SYS files. For example:
COPY ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAT ~3\AUTOEXEC.BAK 0 0 31
which makes a backup copy of AUTOEXEC.BAT, which is always a good
idea before modifying it with the FILE command.
Yes/No is set by the ASK, CPU, EXIST, MOUSE, and VIDEO commands and
remains set until one of these commands is issued. This
variable allows INSTALL.EXE to perform conditional jumps
based on the information passed from above commands. See the
JUMP.NO and JUMP.YES commands in APPENDIX A.
FAIL is set by the COPY, DELETE, EXIST, FILE.DATE, FILE.SIZE, FILE,
MD, RD, SET.FILES, SET.PATH, VIEW, and UNPACK commands if a
disk error occurs. Disk errors include, disk not ready, disk
full, sector not found, etc. See the JUMP.FAIL command in
APPENDIX A for details.
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Other Features of The Finishing Touch Page 64
COMMENTS
~~~~~~~~
Just like any other programming language, it is always a good idea to
comment your script file. Comments begin with the apostrophe character
unless the apostrophe is inside a quoted string. Empty lines are
ignored.
Example:
' this is an example of a commented line. It will be ignored by
' INSTALL.EXE because it begins with an apostrophe character. The
' next line will also be ignored because it is blank.
' The next line is a valid line:
BACKGROUND 63 ' cyan background
' Everything after the apostrophe will be ignored.
HIDING WINDOWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There will be times when you don't want a window to be displayed on the
screen. The COPY, DELETE, and PATH commands each display a window
which you may want hidden from the end user. You can "hide" windows by
making them the same color as the background and by issuing the
SHADOW OFF command.
Example 1:
BACKGROUND 63 ' cyan background
TELESCOPE ON ' draw "exploding" windows
SHADOW ON ' display shadows
WINOPEN 18 2 95
" ImagiSOFT, Inc."
"Where Imagination Brings Software to Life"
""
" Test Installation Script File"
WAIT 56 6
TELESCOPE OFF ' draw windows quickly
SHADOW OFF ' no shadow
DELETE *.BAK 1 24 51 ' cyan on cyan color hidden in corner
WINCLOSE ' close ImagiSOFT window
WINOPEN 0 0 31 ' open tiny, centered window
"PRESS ANY KEY TO QUIT."
WAIT 51 13
The example above uses a background of 63 (cyan) then uses color 51 on
the DELETE command (cyan window with cyan letters) located in the lower
left hand corner (column 1, row 24). This way the user never sees the
message "Deleting <FILENAME>".
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Other Features of The Finishing Touch Page 65
HIDING WINDOWS (Continued)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example 2:
BACKGROUND 63
:WINDOWS_PROMPT ' label for jump command
TELESCOPE OFF ' draw windows quickly
SHADOW ON ' shadow the window below
WINOPEN 7 4 31 ' window color: blue w/ white letters
""
" Tetris for Windows will be installed into the GAMES directory "
" beneath the directory where WINDOWS resides."
" Please enter the location of your WINDOWS directory:"
""
""
""
""
""
SHADOW OFF ' don't shadow path window
PATH \WINDOWS 8 9 17 15 32 14 79 ' draw color 17 (blue on blue)
EXIST ~1~2\WIN.COM ' test for proper entry
JUMP.NO WINDOWS_PROMPT ' wrong: jump back
The above example shows how to write your own prompt for a path name
instead of the prompt "Install to drive C: in directory" which comes up
with the PATH command. This was done by opening a large blue window
with white letters (color 31), turning shadows off, then issuing the
PATH command with a blue window with blue letters (color 17).
ImagiSOFT, Inc. Other Features of The Finishing Touch Page 66
ImagiSOFT, Inc.
THE FINISHING TOUCH
THE PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE INSTALLER
REGISTRATION FORM
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