2 replies to this topic

[Ian Blake]

I am trying to make a neat tidy and efficient install package.  I have noticed that ISWI 2.03 and earlier have the nasty habit of building some deleted controls into the final msi file.

For instance I did not require the licence dialog so I deleted it from my installation.  When I built the install I observed that the AgreeToLicense  radio buttons were still entered in the RadioButton table.

So i exported my project to an .ISV file and found the entries for the AgreeToLicense radio button group.  I noted the code (R801) and deleted all the lines related to AgreeToLicence and R801.  I then reimported the .ISV and there is now no trace of  AgreeToLicence in my install.

Does anybody know if I am likely to come across some problems in the future as a result of this?  The .ISV file contains plenty I do not understand but this seemed quite safe.  (I looked at the changes after adding a radio button groupl to make sure I didn't  miss anything).

[Thane]

It is recommend that you "DO NOT" delete any dialogs that were create by the InstallShield application by default, if you do not want that dialog to appear in your UI squence then have the dialog before and after point to one another.  You can do this by changing the event values in the next and back buttons.

[Ian Blake]

Thank you for your reply but I disagree with the view that InstallShield dialogs are sacred objects. There is nothing special about them whatsoever.

I take the view that redundant objects and code is a maintenance hazard. Also as MSI files are usually cached we have a duty to try and make some effort to control the size.

I suppose you could argue that I might want to leave them around for end user modifiaction but my Installations are far too complex (underneath the UI) to expect even the better system administrators to manage that properly.

In any case orphaned data can be generated in many ways I gave the deletion of an IS dialog as an example.   I often experiment with different ways of doing things.  This can leave rubbish in the ISM file that may or may not be transferred to the MSI file depending on the type of structure not deleted completely.