4 replies to this topic

[Brutus]

Hello

I'm sure this is common and I see some common comments only I dont fully understand them. There is a lot of CA mention and types of CA which sadly I dont get.

The idea is to have an MSI that looks for a Batch or VBS in the same directory it was run from and launches that script. I use WISE or InstallShield but not that much (training in Sydney next week).

Any expenation that does not require the level of understanding where the question would not need to be asked would be very cool. Given this must be a common request it would be nice to get a method. I'd be keen to spell it out and put in some examples.

[antyagi]

Look for SETUPEXEDIR or SourceDir property.

[Brutus]

Thanks I've read abit about these properties

http://www.installsh...SetupExeDir.asp

Also I now now a CA is a custom action and what the numbers mean, thanks to these guys.
http://www.dawnstar.com.au/wpshelp/

However the path variables you mention dont seem to point to the location we launch the MSI from but the database it creates?

I'm quite shocked that such simple things as launching a script is so difficult in MSI's. There are a few explentation out there I have tried to follow but they are badly written and provide little help so lets break it down.

:needed and MSI to kick off a script in the directory the MSI was called from (so relative path to MSI

1 > A way to set the relative path of the MSI to a variable
2 > A way to run a script from that directory

Simple things for any script or a WISE script EXE say but not so for an MSI created using any tool so it seems. It would seem to me given AD and Citrix only like MSI and their own propriatery standard that such an MSI would be very handy (launch scripts to do non MSI stuff using AD cool as).

Thanks for the reply though I am not sure of the relevance?

[Brutus]

antyagi

My appologies
http://helpnet.insta...SETUPEXEDIR.htm

It seems those are the relative path variables to the MSI path. Are these MSI properties or InstallSheild specific I'll have to dig further.

So possibly we have a path variable. How do we kick off a script in that path? The Custom Actions seem to only like running scripts they spit out or that are in a binary string (reading about that was completely hopeless).

I'm on a course soon through so it I sus it before anyone helps I'll post it here and a few other places for prosperity.

[Brutus]

Seems to be some built tools for doing this available on this site

http://www.installsi.../en/isp_ext.htm

Still I am using WISE and that is Installshield specific so I am still interested in doing this in a generic MSI way so it can be done with any tool.