4. Setup and Deployment Projects

Whenever we download any software from the net for the Windows operating system, it comes crammed in a single file. This file invariably has the extension of .zip or .exe or .msi, or .cab, etc. The zip file is a compilation of multiple files, which may or may not be in a compressed form. It requires an unzip program, one of them called 'Winzip', to extract the files from the zip mode. An exe file is an executable file, which requires no external program, and can run on its own. However, the msi file, which contains an installation program, requires a Windows Installer program.

When a product has to be installed on the hard disk, the file that initiates the installation program, either has an 'exe' extension (for e.g. setup.exe) or a msi extension. This program brings forth a wizard, where relevant information has to be entered, for successful installation. The program also checks for the essential harddisk space and a location where the files are to be ensconced. At times, it may even call upon you to reboot the system.

Let us consider the case of any one of the software companies that we know. While a product is being developed, it allots the development of certain features to each one of the software programmers in the project team. Thus, by the time the product is ready, there are numerous files containing the source code, which need to be referred to. It is an awfully tedious and irksome exercise to merge all the files into one file. Besides, the files need to be placed in certain directories, for the program to be able to function as desired. The program may also want to add a Program Group to the Start menu and make amendments to the System Registry. Therefore, to make life a lot easier, a Setup program is developed, which contains a wizard that eases the job of deploying the project.

This chapter focuses on the Setup and the Deployment issues. It delves upon how life has become much more comfortable and snug, with the inbuilt features of the .Net framework, which buttress these issues. This setup program is accorded an extension of 'msi', under Windows.

As is normally done, you need to ensure that all the windows and projects are closed in Visual Studio.Net. Now, click on the menu File - Project - New. In the New Project dialog box, choose the Setup and Deployment option in the Project Types pane and Setup Project in the Templates pane. Enter the name of the project as 'y1' and the location as c:\vijay. The screen 4.1 displays these selected options.

Screen 4.1

After clicking on the OK button, we arrive at screen 4.2. The screen doesn't appear very familiar.

Screen 4.2

It would be a good idea if you too, would click on the View menu and select the Solution Explorer option. This would bring-in the Solution Explorer window on the extreme right, as is evident in screen 4.3.

Screen 4.3

Let us concentrate on the type of applications that we are working with.

Earlier, we had clicked on the Debug menu, and then on Start. However, in case of the Setup project, the Start menu item is disabled, as shown in screen 4.4.

Screen 4.4

This obviously implies that we cannot run a setup program. Instead, it has to be built. Therefore, we click on the Build menu, and then, again on the menu option named Build, as seen in screen 4.5.

Screen 4.5

It is evident from the output window that the build has succeeded. So, how do we establish whether things are shaping-up the way we want them to?

Double click on the My Computer icon on the Desktop and then, click on 'c drive'. Here, double click on the 'vijay' sub-directory, since this is the location that we have specified for all our projects. Amongst the other subdirectories, is the subdirectory of y1. Open up this folder by double clicking on it, and then, double click on the 'debug' subdirectory. Here, you would arrive at the installer program y1.msi.

Screen 4.6

Double click on the file y1.msi and view your screen, while the install program is running. Without writing a single line of code, we have created a setup wizard for y1. Screen 4.7 confirms this fact. Click on the Next button to arrive at screen 4.8.

Screen 4.7	Screen 4.8

The default sub-directory, to which the files will be copied, is shown as C:\Program Files\VMCI\y1\ . If you are not too pleased with this location, click on the Browse button. This will lead you to a 'Directory Change' dialog box, as can be seen in screen 4.9.

Screen 4.9	Screen 4.10

Click on Cancel, in case you decide to change your mind, and carry on with the subdirectory assigned by default. This is exactly what we have done. This reverts us back to the previous screen, where we now click on Disk Cost.

The Disk Cost button reveals a dialog box, as is apparent in screen 4.11. This dialog box displays the currently available drives on our machine, together with the size and space available on each of them, and the space required for the current installation. In spite of there being no files to be copied, the screen displays a requirement of 202K for our installation. Click on the OK button to close the dialog box. Once done, click on the Next button.

Screen 4.11	Screen 4.12

The screen that comes to the fore, asks for the final confirmation for the installation of the files, which are present in the installer package.

No sooner is the Next button clicked upon, does a screen spring up, showing a progress bar that indicates the proportion of installation that has been completed so far.

Once the files have been installed, the screen changes to the one reflected in screen 4.13, reporting the successful completion of the installation. Clicking on Close will take us out of this last dialog box of the wizard.

Screen 4.13

Now, in order to verify and identify the files installed by the installation program, we venture into the y1 sub-directory, within the VMCI sub-directory in Program Files.

To our utter dismay, no subdirectory by the name of y1 meets the eye. This makes sense, since the installer was not called upon to copy any files at all. As there were no files to be copied, there obviously wasn't any need to create a sub-directory.

Double click on the y1.msi icon again. We expected the same wizard to execute again. But, we were startled to find the screen displaying buttons to 'Repair' or 'Remove' the installation.

Screen 4.14

The default option selected is that of 'Repair'. This option is of great utility in situations where we may accidentally delete a file. In such circumstances, we may merely wish to copy the deleted file, instead of wasting a lot of time in reinstalling the whole package. The repair option is most ideal for handling such situations.

In the case of this particular application,we would rather undo the installation. Hence, we select the 'Remove' option and then, click on the Finish button. As always, the next screen that appears, shows a progress bar indicating the proportion of the task that has been completed. Once the task is over, the screen containing the Close button, is displayed.

We shall pursue the following approach for the setup programs:

• After making the requisite modifications, we shall build the project.

• Then, we shall run the installation program to install the files.

• Thereafter, we shall examine the changes.

• Ultimately, we shall run the installation program once again, to remove the installation.

This will ensure that we start afresh each time.

A question that torments our minds is, 'What would the installer program do to keep itself occupied, when we do not give it any files to be copied?'.

You would be able to obtain the answer, after executing the following steps:

• Run the installer program once again, by clicking on the msi file.

• Browse through the wizard in the same way, as was done before.

• From the Start menu (Ctrl+Esc), choose Settings, and then, select the Control Panel.

• Double click on the icon for 'Add/Remove programs'.

• Scroll right down till you see 'y1' in the window.

The screen 4.15 shows the 'y1' program, amidst the list of programs that have been installed.

Screen 4.15

Thus, the installer has registered our program with the Windows Installer. This is the reason why it figures in this list. Close the Add - Remove Program dialog box and Re-run the installer program in order to remove the program. Now, if you check the Add/Remove Program in the Control Panel, you will find no traces of the program.

Thus, the installer program not only displays the wizard containing the entire set of dialog boxes, which facilitate copying or removing the files, but it also registers/unregisters the program with the Windows installer.

Now, you may incorporate a slight modification to the project. Bring up the Properties window by pressing F4. Choose the property called ProductName, and change its value to y11. This is shown in screen 4.16.

Screen 4.16

Then click on Build - Build to generate the application. Then, run this installer program from the Debug sub-directory, and click on the Next button of the first screen. You will arrive at screen 4.17, where the name of the sub-directory is depicted as y11.

Screen 4.17	Screen 4.18

We will not persist with the installation, because no directories would be created, owing to the fact that there are no files to be copied. So click on the Cancel button. This does not terminate the installation immediately as it asks for final confirmation. Since we are sure that we want to exit the installation, we shall click on the 'Yes' button, and the last screen of the Wizard is displayed, indicating the installation status, before bidding adieu. The screen 4.18 reveals that the installation had been interrupted. Click on the Close button to end the installation. Since the modus operandi is to focus on a single feature at a time, we will cancel the installation after displaying and explaining the relevant portions. This saves the effort of uninstalling the application each time.

Now, we change the value of the Manufacturer property to 'sonal'. Also, instead of clicking on the Build menu option, followed by Build again, we will use the short-cut key Ctrl-Shift-B. Run the project, and then, click on Next button of the first screen. The screen that appears next is shown in screen 4.19. Notice that the subdirectory name after Program Files has changed from VMCI to sonal.

Screen 4.19

Cancel the installation. Now, let us make fresh modifications to the project. In the window, the first two panes are referred to as the File System Editor. As soon as we click on the Application folder in the first pane, the second pane goes absolutely blank.

This is by reason of there being no files in this folder. For verification, you can view the screen 4.20.

Screen 4.20

We now wish to place a file named 'a.txt' in this folder. So, first create a file called a.txt containing whatever text you desire, in the root of C drive. You can use any program that would assist you in creating this file.

Once this is accomplished, right click on the Application folder, as shown in screen 4.21. This will display a popup menu, which is context sensitive.

Screen 4.21

Remember the following cardinal rule in Windows: "If ever you feel lost, click the right mouse button, and you will be enlightened about the activities that you are allowed to carry out, in your present position."

Since we want to Add something, we move the mouse over the Add option. This is showcased in screen 4.22. Many of the items displayed with the Add option can be added to the Application folder. We select the File option, since presently, we are keen on learning how to add Files to the Application Folder.

Screen 4.22

Now in the familiar File dialog box, navigate to the root of C drive, and choose the freshly minted file a.txt by double clicking on it. The screen 4.23 clearly delineates this act of ours.

Screen 4.23

Once the file has been selected, we revert back to the panes in the window. Screen 4.24 unfolds two changes, which have been effected because of our earlier actions.

Screen 4.24

The file name a.txt makes an appearance in both, the second pane and the Solution Explorer. Press Ctrl-Shift-B to build the program. But, before running the program, delete the file a.txt from the c drive. This goes on to prove the fact that this file is dispensable, since the installer has included a copy of it in the file y1.msi, while building it.

Now, we adopt a different strategy to run the installer. In the Solution Explorer, choose the project y1, and not the solution, and right click on it. From the list of options displayed, select the Install menu option.

Screen 4.25

Now, execute the installation in its entirety. Then, go to the program files sub-directory to ascertain if a sub-directory called 'sonal' has been created with y11. Now, go to the sub-directory y11, where you will see a file called a.txt. Thus, the installation program has successfully copied the file a.txt into the requisite sub-directories of the target machine.

Now, on pressing the keys Ctrl-Shift-B, trouble brews, as shown in screen 4.26. The problem here is that, since we deleted the file a.txt from our machine, it could not get added to the file y1.msi. Thus, we need to create it once again.

Screen 4.26

Click on the right mouse button after selecting y1 in the Solution Explorer, and then, select the UnInstall menu option. Before the product begins uninstalling, a message box appears on the screen, trying to verify our sanity (as shown in screen 4.27).

Screen 4.27

Once our sanity has been established, and we are absolutely certain that we want to uninstall the product, we click on the 'Yes' button. The process of un-installation gets executed without much ado.

If you attempt to uninstall the product once again, the same box pops up, requesting for confirmation. On clicking the 'Yes' button, another message box emerges (as shown in screen 4.28), apprizing us of the fact that the unistall procedure works only on installed products. This proves that the installer is highly active and aware of the current state of the product, and has sufficient built-in intelligence.

Screen 4.28

Select the Application folder tab once again, and click with the right mouse button on the file a.txt. The popup menu is displayed, as expected. Select the option of 'Create Shortcut to a.txt'. This will reveal a screen, as seen in screen 4.29.

Screen 4.29

You can see that an entry has been made. Now, change the name of the shortcut to 'vijay'.

Screen 4.30

Select the shortcut 'vijay' and drag-and-drop it into the folder labeled User's Desktop, in the first pane. On doing this, the screen 4.31 is exposed to our view.

Screen 4.31

Most install programs copy a shortcut on the desktop. Whenever we click on a short cut, the program or the application associated with it gets executed. After recreating a.txt in the root, press Ctrl-Shift-B to build the project. Then, right click on the y1 project in the Solution Explorer, to select the Install menu option from the popup menu. Henceforth, we shall simply request you to 'run the installer', rather than reiterating these steps over and over again.

Once the installation is effected, click on the Close button and switch to the desktop. You will see the newly created icon named 'vijay', amongst the other icons on the desktop. Thus, we can copy a single file, as well as, multiple files and even shortcuts to the desktop. Right click on the shortcut named 'vijay', and select the menu option called Properties. Screen 4.32 shows the desktop that exists on our machine.

Screen 4.32

A dialog box will popup, (as seen in screen 4.33), which divulges relevant details about the shortcut.

Screen 4.33

Close the dialog box and double click on the shortcut. The notepad application opens up, with the file a.txt displayed in it. The screen 4.34 shows the file a.txt in notepad.

Screen 4.34

Close notepad and switch to Visual Studio.Net framework. Uninstall the application by following the same steps that have been stipulated earlier. The Installer not only uninstalls the application, but it also deletes the shortcut from the desktop. Thus, the uninstall option eliminates each and every resource installed by the installation program. Therefore, the subdirectories that were created, such as, 'sonal' and y11, shall also be deleted. However, while uninstalling, if these subdirectories are in use, then they shall not be deleted.

Click on the application folder and select the file a.txt. Select the 'create shortcut' option once again, and rename the shortcut to 'Mukhi'. Then, select 'Mukhi' and drag-and-drop it inside the folder called User's Program Menu. The screen 4.35 displays the shortcut in the User's Program Menu.

Screen 4.35

Press Ctrl-Shift-B to build the project, and then, run the installer. Once the installation has been concluded, click on the Start Menu (Ctrl+Esc), and go to the Programs option. Having selected Programs, the programs that can be executed under this option, are exhibited. Within it, the option 'Mukhi' is also displayed. It gave us great satisfaction to see the screen, which is shown in the screen 4.36.

Screen 4.36

Clicking on 'Mukhi' will lead us to the a.txt file in notepad. Thus, the installer program has been able to add a menu to the user's menu. If you uninstall the program, the menu called 'Mukhi' also disappears.

The next modification illustrates how a particular File Type can be associated with an Application. The imperative task on hand is, to ensure that the installation program registers the file extension 'bbb' with the Wordpad application. This is to ensure that, each time we click on a file with an extension of 'bbb', the Wordpad application should start and display the contents of this file.

Select the Application folder, and click on the right mouse button. Now, select the Add menu option and the File option. This was demonstrated earlier, while adding the file a.txt. This brings up the Add File dialog box, as was evident earlier too. Navigate to the Accessories directory from Program Files and then, select Wordpad.exe. This will ensure that both, WordPad and a.txt, are copied to the target computer.

Screen 4.37

In the root of C drive, create a file called b.bbb, which could contain just about anything under the sky. Once the file has been created, choose the Application folder yet again, and right click on Add, followed by File, to add the file b.bbb.

The second pane for the application folder now displays three files: a.txt, b.bbb and Wordpad.exe. Once the required files have been incorporated, select b.bbb and click the right mouse button. Then, choose the Create Shortcut menu option and rename it as 'sunny'. Now, drag-and-drop the shortcut 'sunny' into the User's Desktop tab, which should now contain two shortcuts, shown in the screen 4.38.

Screen 4.38

Once this is accomplished, click on the View menu, and then, on the Editor option. This will list down six different editors, which are clearly visible in screen 4.39.

Screen 4.39

We are currently working on the File System editor. Choose the menu option File Types, and you will be greeted by a fresh screen, as gleamed in screen 4.40.

Screen 4.40

You may also notice that there are two tabs on the screen for each of the editors. These tabs facilitate easy switching between the editors, on an as-required basis.

Right clicking on the File Types item, displays only one menu item, i.e. Add File types. This can be seen in the screen 4.41.

Screen 4.41

On selecting Add File types, a few more options appear under File Types. This is seen in screen 4.42.

Screen 4.42

You may assign any name to the new file. We have assigned 'azz' as the name. Pressing F4 will exhibit the properties of this type.

Screen 4.43

For the Extensions property, specify the extension of bbb. Now, to associate a program name with the extension bbb, click on the 3 dots i.e. ... , of the command property.

A dialog box, as shown in screen 4.44, crops up with the same three items, as shown in the FileSystem. We are apprized of the fact that, Wordpad.exe is located within the Application folder. Hence, we double click on Application Folder and select Wordpad.exe from it.

Screen 4.44	Screen 4.45

The command property now shows Wordpad.exe. Before proceeding any further, let us determine whether things are taking shape the way we want them to. So, build the project, and then, run the installer.

The installation is completed successfully. On the desktop, two shortcuts named 'sunny' and 'vijay' are visible.

Double click on 'sunny'. Lo and behold! WordPad opens up, displaying the file b.bbb.

Screen 4.46

The screen 4.46 endorses our statement. Thus, any file with the extension of bbb, has now been associated with Wordpad.exe, without having to write a single line of code.

Let us verify this association. Create a file c.bbb in the root of C drive. Then, create a shortcut to it on the desktop. In order to create a shortcut, right click on the desktop and select Create Shortcut. This shows the Create Shortcut dialog box, wherein, we are asked to enter the name of the file. Obedient as we are, we enter the name c.bbb, which is our newly created file.

Keep clicking on the Next button repeatedly, till you come to the Finish button. On clicking the Finish button, the shortcut named c.bbb will be displayed on the desktop.

We see the shortcut in screen 4.47. It has an icon identical to that of a file associated with Wordpad. Though it appears distinct from 'sunny', when we click on it, the Wordpad program opens up with the file.

Screen 4.47

Uninstall the project and revert back to the desktop. You will see that the two shortcuts that were created earlier have disappeared. Now, on double clicking c.bbb, a dialog box appears, as shown in screen 4.48.

Screen 4.48

This dialog box turns up because Windows has no clue as to which application to use to open a file with the extension of bbb. This substantiates the fact that the installer, while uninstalling a product, also removes the file association. However, we are clueless as to how it performs this task.

Each time we install some software, we would want to ensure that the user's machine already has a specific version of a software package installed on it. To implement such a condition, we use the editor called Launch Conditions. Click on the View menu, then move the mouse to the last editor named Launch Conditions. This is shown in screen 4.49.

Screen 4.49

Once the editor has been selected, you will arrive at screen 4.50.

Screen 4.50

The screen now shows three tabs, amongst which, the Launch Conditions editor tab is active. Here, select 'Requirements for Target Machine', and click the right mouse button. Select the first option named 'Add File Launch Condition'.

Screen 4.51	Screen 4.52

One child node gets added to each of the two parent nodes. Our primary focus will be on the Properties window for the node Search for File1. Select Search for File1 and in the Properties window, modify or initialize the properties, as described in the following text.

Start with the Folder property, and click on the listbox to see a list of directory names. We want to ensure that a specific version or any higher version of Internet Explorer exists on the user's machine. The exe file for Internet Explorer is Iexplore.exe. So, choose the option of [ProgramFilesFolder], since it is located in the sub-directory Internet Explorer, within Program files.

The next property to be modified is called Depth. The Depth property refers to the number of sub-directories under Program files, which should be searched to locate a particular file. In our case, we know that it is more that one directory deep. So we select the depth accordingly. The most important property is the FileName. It has to be assigned the filename, whose version needs to be ascertained. Thus, we set the FileName property to Iexplore.exe.

We also desire that the Minimum version of Internet Explorer should be at least 7.00. So, we assign a value of 6.00 to the Minimum property. The property window on your screen should resemble screen 4.53. Now, build and run the application

Screen 4.53

The message box that emerges, does not inspire any confidence in us, since it only reads 'Error Message'. A click on the OK button too, doesn't assist much in determining the cause of the error, since the window only informs us that the installation did not occur due to some problem.

Wouldn't life be much easier, if the error messages were a trifle more meaningful? To ensure this, click on the second child node named Condition1 and then, select the Message property. Here, enter the appropriate error message as follows: 'Wrong Internet Explorer Version Number'.

Now, build the project and install it. Screen 4.54 displays the error message, which we have just entered.

Screen 4.54

The error occured because the installer expects the version number of Internet Explorer to be at least 7.00. Most of us would either be working with Internet Explorer 5.5 or with 6. So, set the Minimum version to 5.00, and everything will work just fine, as before. The value of the Maximum version can also be set, which will guarantee us that the Internet Explorer version falls within a range of the Minimum and Maximum values.

Now, we shall look into customizising the User Interface. Click on the View menu option, and from the Editors option, select User Interface. The screen that is displayed, will look similar to what we have shown in screen 4.55.

Screen 4.55

It is in this editor that we can customize the User Interface, or the screens that the installer displays. So far, we have always skipped the first screen that is displayed during the installation process, by pressing the Next button. This is because, it does not have much significance for us. So, let us remove it. To do so, select the Welcome node, right click on it, and select the Delete option. This is shown in screen 4.56. You will see the node disappear.

Screen 4.56

Build the project and install it. The Welcome screen is not exhibited any longer. Thus, we can customize every single aspect of the User Interface. After having reviewed the changes, cancel the installation midway, or else, you will have to go through the entire uninstallation procedure.

How do we go about adding our own dialog box? This can be done as follows: Select the Start node and then right click on it. Then, choose the menu option of Add Dialog, as shown in screen 4.57.

Screen 4.57

Here, in a dialog box, we are provided with a gargantuan list of the possible dialog pages, which we can add to our User Interface. Now, select CheckBoxes(A), as revealed in 4.58.

Screen 4.58

On doing so, a screen will show up, as displayed in screen 4.59, where a checkbox will be displayed at the bottom. Further, this screen is added in the third position in the list.

Screen 4.59

This sequence of displaying the screens is just not acceptable to us, since we would like our freshly added dialog box to be the first screen to be displayed. Don't sweat the small stuff! Just right click on the node, and select the option of 'Move up', as shown in screen 4.60. Repeat this process once again, to move the dialog box to the top most position.

Screen 4.60

Now that the ordering is as per our taste, we need to build and then,install the project. screen 4.61 displays four checkboxes and some text. Clicking on the Next button will take you, yet again, to the dialog pages that you had viewed earlier. We may append as many dialog pages as may tickle our fancy.

Screen 4.61

We shall now customize the displayed dialog page. Press the Cancel button, and ensure that the CheckBoxes dialog node is selected.

Firstly, in the Properties window, change the Banner Text to 'First Screen', and in the Body Text, change it to 'Select the options displayed below'.

Then, glide down to the properties of CheckBox2Visibile, CheckBox3Visibile and CheckBox4Visibile. For each of them, click on the drop down listbox and select the value of False. This action of ours, ensures that the last three checkboxes do not get displayed at all. Screen 4.62 shows the Properties window, with the newly assigned values.

Screen 4.62

Once the project is built and installed, the screen that we arrive at, flashes the title as 'First Screen'. The Body Text also contains the newly assigned value, and just a single check box is displayed.

Screen 4.63

Now, we want to employ this checkbox to determine whether the file a.txt needs to be copied or not. This will make our installation program much more flexible, as it will empower the user with the option of selecting the files that need to be copied. If the checkbox is selected, the file will get copied, otherwise not. Click on the Cancel button to initiate this modification.

Click on the node Checkboxes (A), and take a look at the Properties window. The property Checkbox1Property will reveal its value as CHECKBOXA1.

Now, click on the first tab named File System, and then, on the Application Folder. Select the file a.txt in the second pane, and for the first property Condition, enter CHECKBOXA1 = 1, Sereen 4.64. Thus, we have made the process of copying a file conditional; in that, the file will be copied only when the checkbox is selected.

Screen 4.64

Build the project and install it. The first screen displays the checkbox, as seen earlier. Leave the checkbox unselected, and complete the installation. It is time to verify whether the condition took effect or not. In the subdirectory y11, within the sonal directory, there are two files visible, instead of three.

Now, uninstall the project and reinstall it. This time, you must ensure that you click on the checkbox and complete the installation. On navigating through the sub-directories, it would become amply evident, that the file a.txt has been copied.

Thus, we have demonstrated a mechanism used very often by an installer program, wherein, a list of options is displayed; and the user has the discretion of selecting the options that he wishes to install on his machine.

There is no necessity for retaining the condition for a.txt anymore. So, delete the condition, and switch back to the User Interface, in order to append a few more dialog boxes. Delete the Checkbox Node and thereafter, right click on the Start Node. As expected, the popup for the Add Dialog is displayed. This time, select the 'Read Me' Dialog.

Every installation program furnishes a Readme file, which embodies information for the user to read, either before proceeding with the installation or after completing it. It may contain details about the product, its requirements, the author's name, etc.

Start the Word application, and in a blank file, enter 'Hello everybody'. Then, to save the file, click on File, Save As and select the file type as 'Rich Text format' or RTF file. The file is named aaa.rtf in the root of C drive. The dialog box displays the options selected in screen 4.65.

Screen 4.65

Close the Word application. Next, for the sake of consistency, right click on the ReadMe node, and move it up two notches, in order to make it the first node. It therefore becomes the first dialog box to be displayed. In the Properties Window, click on the Down Arrow of the property ReadMeFile, and select the Browse option.

Screen 4.66

The dialog box of ‘Select Item in Project’ pop’s up. We have bumped into this dialog box before. Therefore, there is no need to replicate the explanation.

If you select the Application Folder, you will obtain a blank screen, since there are no files having the .rtf extension, in our Application Folder. All the files that are required to be copied to the target machine, are lodged in the Application Folder. So far, none of the three files, has an extension of .rtf. So, click on the button labeled Add File in the dialog box, and choose the file aa.rtf, residing in the root directory.

Screen 4.67

Once this is done, click on OK Button, and monitor the file aa.rtf, being assigned to the ReadMefile property.

Here, we take a short detour, and click on the File System tab. Open the Application Folder. You will notice that this file has not been added to the present list of files.

Build the project and install it, in order to view the outcome of our handiwork. Screen 4.68 displays the Readme file, aaa.rtf, containing the text that we had entered.

Screen 4.68

Deleting the file from C drive will not result in any errors, since a copy of the file aaa.rtf has been incorporated within the msi file. You may recall, that a similar approach was adopted while the file aa.txt was being copied.

Thus, if you want to subsume a file within the installer program, however, you do not want this file to be copied during the installation, just pursue the methodology stipulated above. In this manner, you can keep a few select files, away from the prying eyes of the users.

Cancel the installation, since we do not intend to proceed any further. As we have finished dealing wiith the ReadMe node, click on the node, and then, press the Delete key to banish it.

Now, let us handle the License Agreement dialog box. As usual, right click on start, and then, click on 'Add Dialog' to raise-up this dialog box from the list that is displayed. Shift it to the first position, and then, select the drop down listbox of the License File property. This listbox shows the list items that are similar to those of the Readme file. Click on Browse, and then, double click on the Application Folder that is displayed in the dialog box. Select the file aaa.rtf, which is displayed here, and click on OK. Once this is achieved, build and install the project, to gain a sneak preview of the License screen, as shown in 4.69.

Screen 4.69

Under normal circumstances, a valid license agreement, which is drawn up by a lawyer, would have been displayed. It generally encompasses copyright issues, and availability or denial of distribution of the software for commercial purposes. Only lawyers can conjure up the details, and trust me, they get grossly overpaid for it. Two radio buttons are displayed on the screen, of which, the one containing the text "I Do Not Agree", is selected by default. The Next button is grayed out, thereby, preventing the user from proceeding ahead, if he does not conform to the license. Selecting the radio button containing the text "I Agree", will enable or activate the Next button. Verify this feature, and then, cancel the installation, as we are conversant enough with the remaining dialog boxes that are to follow. This dialog box represents a scenario akin to a real life situation, wherein, software that is to be installed, displays a license agreement. The user needs to concur with this agreement, in order to continue with the installation.

Delete the node, and then, right click on the Start node. Select the option of 'Add a Dialog', to add the dialog called the Splash Dialog Box. As is done routinely, we move it to the top position, and proceed to initialize the few properties that it possesses. Of the two properties that are displayed, we select the 'Splash Bitmap option', and as before, choose the Browse option from the Listbox.

We arrive at the familiar 'Select Item in Project' Dialog Box, where we double click on the Application Folder. Since this folder does not contain any jpg or bmp files, it obviously is empty.

Akin to the procedure adopted for the rtf file, we click on Add file, and then, select the bmp file named "Blue Lace 16.bmp" from the Winnt subdirectory. Click on OK. Then, build and install the project. The screen that is exposed to view, is shown in screen 4.70.

Screen 4.70

A picture stored in the bmp file format, gets displayed when the project is installed.

The only downside of this is, the picture that gets incorporated in the msi file, thereby, increasing the file size considerably. But still it is worth the overheads, since it makes the user experience much richer.

Select the Splash node and delete it. Then, bring-in another dialog called the Radio Buttons (2) dialog box. Elevate it to the top position, and then, build and install.

Screen 4.71

In case you forget to move the dialog box to the top position, an error message will be displayed, which notifies that all customized dialogs are to be placed before the Installation dialog box.

The Radio Buttons enable the user to choose from amongst a series of mutually exclusive options. Thus, the user can select only one of the available options, unlike a check box, which allows multiple options to be selected simultaneously. This property of the Radio Button can also be used, to conditionally copy certain files. There are dialog boxes by the dozen, offering a host of radio buttons. As there is no further utility of the radio button dialog box, we shall dispense with it, with a flick of the Delete key.

The next in the series of the dialog boxes that we shall explore is, the TextBoxes (A) dialog box. After having moved it to the top of the list, build and install the project. The screen that springs up, is shown in screen 4.72.

Screen 4.72

Here, four textboxes are displayed for the user to fill up. Our installer can figure out what values are being entered by the users. If we so desire, we may conceal the textboxes, as we had done in the case of the check boxes.

We now select the textbox node, and then, delete it with the help of the Delete key. Now, select the Register User Dialog box and haul it up to the top position, as is generally done.

In the properties window, click on the Banner Bitmap drop down listbox this time, and select Browse. The Select Item in Project dialog box shows up. Double click on the Application Folder. Only the bitmap of "Blue Lace 16.bmp" is displayed. Select it and click on OK. As usual, build and Install.

The screen 4.73 displays the selected bitmap at the top of the dialog box. This bitmap comes along with the installer. Hence, it will not be copied to the Application Folder, i.e. the folder specified by us, on the target machine.

Screen 4.73

To ascertain this, note down the file size of the .msi file. In our case, it shows 167 KB. Then, reset the Bitmap property to 'none' and build the project again. The file size reduces to 165 KB. This indubitably proves that the bmp file gets added to the .msi file.

The Register button is disabled. What is the rationale behind retaining a User Registration dialog box, when the Register button is disabled?

While the software is being downloaded from the Internet or is being installed, the Software Company that developed the software, may want the user to register the product with them. This process normally is optional, but is used as bait. If a user registers the product, he will be notified about free upgrades by e-mail. The registration process is capable of doing numerous other things, but the installer couldn't care less about them.

The property named Executable has to be initialized, so as to enable this button. So, select the Browse option, which would display the Select Item in the project Dialog box. As always, click on the Application Folder and select Wordpad, since this is the only exe file that is currently accessible.

Under normal circumstances, the programmer writes a program, which knows how to register the user information with the company. That is it! Now click on OK, and then, build and install. The Register button is alive and kicking! On clicking this button, Wordpad opens up. This is reflected in screens 4.74 and 4.75.

Screen 4.74	Screen 4.75

If, we click on the Next button, without quitting out of Wordpad, the installer waits indefinitely. The installer refuses to proceed any further, until the program concludes. Therefore, exit from Wordpad and click on the Next button, to proceed to the next screen. Thereafter, click on the Cancel button, since we lack inclination to advance any further with the installation.

Let us now focus upon Arguments, which is the first property of this dialog node. Enter the value of C:\a.txt. Then, build and install the project. When you click on the Register button, Wordpad gets executed, with the file a.txt opened in it. Thus, arguments can be passed to the program, which then exploits the parameters to the optimum. Thus, if we insert the text Wordpad, followed by a file name as a parameter, it executes, with the file displayed in it.

Now that we are through with the Register node, delete it and introduce the Customer Information dialog box. Move the node to the top. Then, build and install the project. Screen 4.76 now shows the dialog box with two textboxes; one containing the user name, and the other including the company name. This is similar to what was entered, while the Visual Studio.Net was being installed.

Screen 4.76

At install time, most products ask for the name of the user and the company. At times, it also requests the user to enter a serial number. The screen 4.76 does not show any serial number at present.

However, if we change the value assigned to the property ShowSerialNumber to True, the Serial Number Box gets displayed. Note that the value assigned to the property SerialNumberTemplate, is as follows: <###-%%%%%%%>. Build the project and install it.

Screen 4.77	Screen 4.78

The serial number box has two boxes, separated by a hyphen. If we enter the digits 123-4567890, and click on the Next button, an error message box is displayed, as is visible in screen 4.78. Unless a valid serial number is entered, the user is denied permission to proceed any further, thereby, aborting the installation of the software.

In the template, the # symbol expects a digit. Thus, the 3 # symbols expect the user to enter 3 digits. The % symbol also represents a digit. Thus, 7 more digits are to be granted next. The numbers entered in the positions corresponding to the # symbol are ignored. However, the numbers entered for the positions represented by the % sign, are added up, and then, divided by 7. Provided that the remainder that is obtained is zero, the serial number is considered to be valid.

Entering the number 1 seven times, will result in a remainder of zero. Hence, it is considered to be a valid serial number. Keep it in mind that the first 3 digits are ignored in the calculation. Further, the 3-7 combination is not mandatory. You may modify it to suit your requirement.

Now that we have become familiar with the Customer node, select it and delete it.

We have garnered adequate knowledge about customizing the User Interface editor. So, let us now change track and proceed to the next editor called the Registry. Click on the View menu, and move the mouse to the Editor menu option.

Screen 4.79

The screen that shows up, is displayed in screen 4.80. Let us spend a little time appreciating and unraveling the System Registry and the screen displayed below.

Screen 4.80

Let us consider a practical example of Visual Studio.Net, to understand the concept better. Each time we start the product, we arrive at a start page, which displays the names of the last four projects that we have worked with. How does Visual Studio.Net remember the names of these projects? The only likelihood is that, Visual Studio.Net saves the names of the last four projects on the disk. To be more precise, it stores it in the Registry.

The Registry is a hidden file, which stores information in the form of name-value pairs, under different keys or headings. There must be only one hidden file, which stores relevant information about various different applications. Consequently, every single application does not create its own hidden file. This results in optimization of the time spent on data retrieval. A program called Regedit knows how to display and edit this file.

Therefore, all programs in our day, have standardized the procedure of storing all their dynamic data in the Registry. The keys, along with the name-value pairs, are inserted or modified in the Registry, during the installation of the product.

As we are in the midst of the setup and installation process, we are in no position to disregard the Registry at any cost. So, how do we create a key and add it to the Registry at the time of installation?

Since the Registry stores a multitude of name-value pairs, we need to organize them under various headings, such as, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, etc. Click on the plus sign of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. You will see the word Software, with a plus sign below it. Select Software and right click on it, to view the menu. Select New from the Menu and then select Key from the popup menu.

Screen 4.81

This will result in the creation of a new key under the Software key, as shown in the screen 4.82.

Screen 4.82

Replace the selected text with 'vijay', and then, view the properties window. There are very few properties displayed for 'vijay'.

Screen 4.83	Screen 4.84

Right click on 'vijay' in the Registry editor. The same menu that was displayed while adding the key, is displayed here. We select the option of 'string value'.

Screen 4.85

Once this is done, an entry is made in the second pane. Enter 'Mukhi' as the new name, and thereafter, assign the value of 'sonal' to the Value property, in the Properties Window.

Screen 4.86	Screen 4.87

What we have accomplished so far, is the creation of a key called 'vijay', under the Software key, and have assigned it a sub-key called 'Mukhi', having a value of 'sonal'.

Using the Start menu (Ctrl+Esc), run a program called Regedit. The registry displayed by this program, is shown in screen 4.88.

Screen 4.88

Click on the plus sign of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and then, click on the plus sign of Software. You may observe that there are no traces of the key 'vijay' under the key 'Software'.

Screen 4.89

Close the registry. Then, build and install the project completely. Once this is executed, open the Registry using regedit, and scroll down the list of all the keys under the Software key, which itself is located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. You would be delighted to discover the newly introduced key named 'vijay', nestled comfortably. It has the name 'Mukhi', with the value of 'sonal' contained in it.

Screen 4.90

Thus, with the help of the procedure outlined above, you can add as many keys as you want, to the Registry. When you uninstall the project, you will notice that this key also disappears. Back in the Registry editor, right click on 'vijay' and add a new Key. Name the key as 'bad'. Screen 4.91 flaunts this new development.

Screen 4.91

Build and install the project and then, run the Regedit program. In case the Registry is open, you can simply click on View - Refresh.

Screen 4.92

We were totally unaware of the fact that, adding keys to the Registry could be so straightforward. While installing any product in real-life, the main key under Software is, the name of the Company that has created the product. This key contains all the other keys required by the product. Each application creates hundreds of keys. Therefore, the Registry grows into a colossal file.

Uninstall the project, so that we can complete our task of exploring the last of the six editors, named Custom Action. As before, click o