Do I need InstallShield? 1

[mpgalvin]

It appears that the VFP Setup Wizard (v6.0Sp5) is not quite enough to cover everything I need for my installation CD. I need to create a desktop icon, I need to run 2 external programs, and take the user directly into a VFP setup program before ther main program can be run.

Is there anyone out there who are using seperate Installation Setup apps? Is there anything I should know about using, for example, InstallShield, with VFP? Lastly, (and possibly most importantly) which one should I be looking at, and where's the best place to get it?

 

[SGLong]

The VFP setup wizard is good, but as you noticed it doesn't have quite the features of one of the commercial install programs. We used Install Shield for a while, but because we needed to create installs in french and spanish as well as english we found their pricing for 'extra languages' a bit steep so we went to Wise. On a strictly single language version they appeared to be quite comparable.

Steve

 

[survivor]

You might want to check out inno setup at jrsoftware.org. It is a free program that I use for my installations. it will run external programs, and do all the stuff you mentioned in your message. A very professional looking installation for your application.

 

[jonscott8]

If it's any consollation, the setup wizard is being retired with the release of VFP7. VFP7 will ship with a version of Install Shield as the installer, some refer to as "InstallShield Lite".

In regards to if you need IS to perform the actions you described above, the answer is No. Everything you request can be performed with the setup wizard, utilizing a post-setup executable.

For how to create a desktop shortcut, see:
Q238553 - SAMPLE: VFPSCUT.EXE Creates Desktop Shortcut to a VFP Application
Q244677 - HOWTO: Create a Desktop Shortcut with the Windows Script Host

You didnt give any detail on the 2 programs you have to run, but most setup/install applications(if thats what they are) can be run in silent mode. To launch external programs, you can use the RUN command or you can search this forum for API_APPRUN when search functionality is restored.

AFA distributing your install on a CD, see:
Q172078 - HOWTO: Enable Autorun for Applications Distributed on CD- ROM
Q152395 - HOWTO: Using Setup Wizard to Distribute VFP App on CD-ROM

You can locate all above articles by going to:

http://search.microsoft.com/us/dev/default.asp

and entering the article ID. FI, Q152395 for the last article above. Jon Hawkins