1 reply to this topic

[gronchi]

Hi to all,
I repeat it: it's a simple curiosity, buf often, the small things hide interesting things.
So, working with InstallShield project I'm facing with a lot of different InstallShield legacy file type and file extension. I'm curious to bind them with their complete meaning.

In open order (add if I forget someone), I tried to give the complete meaning:
<a> = project name path
<b> = media name

Quote

--------------------------------------------------------- ext localization                    meaning --------------------------------------------------------- cdf <a>\Component Definitions       Component DeFinition fgl <a>\File Groups                 File Group L? fdf <a>\File Groups                 ?(1) mda <a>\Media\<b>                   Media Defualt A? log <a>\Media\<b>\Log Files         LOG(2) rpt <a>\Media\<b>\Report Files      RePorT(2) cab <a>\Media\<b>\Disk Images\Disk1 CABinet(3) hdr <a>\Media\<b>\Disk Images\Disk1 HeaDeR ex_ <a>\Media\<b>\Disk Images\Disk1 ? inx <a>\Media\<b>\Disk Images\Disk1 ?(4) rge <a>\Registry Entries            ReGistry Entries rul <a>\Script Files                RULes? dbg <a>\Script Files                DeBuGger file map <a>\Script Files                ?(5) obs <a>\Script Files                ?(6) shl <a>\Shell Objects               SHeLl(2) shl <a>\String Tables               SHeLl(2) tsb <a>\Text Substitutions          Text SuBstitutions(7)

(1) it's a textual file, my explorer associate it an Adobe Acrobat Forms Document...
(2) what more?
(3) is this InstallShield "private" file-type? Or is a "general" extension? Why my explorer associate it a WinZip file but WinZip app is not able to open it?
(4) it's a bin file but my explorer show the wording: InstallShield Professional Script
(5) it's a textual file, two columns, functions and variables in the first and ... call to object's method in the second? I'm very curious about this file type...
(6) it's a bin file, my explorer show the wording: InstallShield Professional Intermediate File, a sort of object file?
(7) what text substitutions are there and where?


Thanks.
Ciao, Giuseppe

[Taco Bell]

I could guess at InstallShield's reasonings behind these file extensions, but I couldn't say for certain the methods behind their madness.

Also, many extensions are often skipped since they're too popular or are chosen a long time ago so they're name is simply now a legacy.  Plus it may not have a direct translactions (i.e. inx for INstructions).

Finally, since you're most curious about the map file, it's a literal map which pairs up function declarations to where their definitions reside (i.e. InstallShield Objects or Custom Objects).  Simple as that.