Creating MSI Installations with InstallShield 2008
Overview
If you have ever wanted to learn how to develop
Basic MSI installations with
InstallShield, but didn't want to outlay a large sum of money to travel to another city and
take a class, or you didn't want to be at the mercy of the program's Help, you have an option.
Wavepoint Studios is offering a home-study course that satisfies this
need.
The
Creating MSI Installations with InstallShield 2008 course provides you with a thorough
understanding of Windows installation program development using the
Basic MSI project. You will
learn about what an installation program needs to do, installation terminology, the
Windows Installer
service, and the InstallShield Development Environment (IDE).
Please note that
InstallScript MSI projects are
not covered.
Sample Movies
To watch sample movies from the course, please go
here.
Course Presentation
The course contains
14 hours, 46 minutes of instruction and is presented on a
DVD that plays on your computer. After installing the course, you will be able to run the launch program and
watch the individual QuickTime movies that make up the course. Each movie covers a different aspect
of installation program development, and is comprised of narrated PowerPoint slides and desktop screen-capture
video (PowerPoint is not required). The experience is one of looking over the shoulder of the
developer and watching as the different aspects of installation development are demonstrated, and as
installation projects are created and enhanced. You are encouraged to follow along with the examples
on your own computer, with your own copy of InstallShield 2008.
The
InstallShield 2008 Professional and
Visual Studio 2005 Professional projects
created in the course are included on the DVD, so that you may review them at your own pace.
Table of Contents
This course is very extensive and covers all aspects of
Basic MSI installation development.
Introduction
Introduction to the Course
Getting Started
Features of the Windows Installer
Installation Fundamentals
Windows Vista Logo Requirements
Advantage of Using InstallShield for Windows Installer Installations
Steps in Creating an InstallShield Project
Creating Installations
InstallShield Interface
Using the Project Assistant
Antivirus Programs
Using the Installation Designer
Creating and Building Releases
Using the Release Wizard
Files Created in a Release
Building a Release from the Command Line
Mega View Application
Creating an installation that has several requirements
File Overwriting
Rules for overwriting files
Dependency Scanners
Setup Prerequisites, Merge Modules, and the .NET Framework
Adding a setup prerequisite for the .NET Framework
Adding a merge module to a project
Vista Validation
Windows Vista Logo validation
Validation tests (ICEs)
Digital Code Signing
Required for Vista Logo certification
Signing files
One Click Releases
Application Shortcuts
Five areas where icons and shortcuts come into play
Taking care of each of the five areas
Installation Deployment
Installation Dialogs
Conditions
Specifying Conditions
Sequences
Actions and Sequences
Types of Windows Installer Installations
User Interface and Execute Sequences
Aspects of the User Interface sequence
Aspects of the Execute sequence
File Costing
File Costing process
Direct Editor
Editing MSI tables directly
Orca
Using Orca to edit an MSI database
Using Orca for validation
Dialog Behaviors
Creating and modifying dialog behaviors
Maintenance Mode
The Maintenance experience
Modifying the Mega View Interface
Task 1 - launching a program at the end of an install
Task 2 - placing a shortcut on the desktop
Task 3 - adding a View Photo feature to the interface
Task 4 - entering and validating a serial number
Custom Actions that Meet Vista Requirements
Guidelines for custom actions that meet Vista requirements
Standard User vs. Administrator User
User Account Control, Administrator Accounts, and Standard User Accounts
Per-Machine and Per-User installations
Virtualization
Creating a Standard User Version of Mega View
Creating a Standard User Application and Installation
Upgrading Applications
Different methods for upgrading applications
Major Upgrade
Minor Upgrade
Small Update
Automatic Upgrade
Standard Patches
Quick Patches
Guidelines for Patch Creation
Upgrade Scenario 1
Upgrade Scenario 2
Upgrade Scenario 3
Creating Upgrades
How to create a Major Upgrade
How to create a Minor Upgrade
How to create a Small Update
How to create an Automatic Upgrade
How to create a Standard Patch, #1
How to create a Standard Patch, #2
How to create a Quick Patch
Using the InstallShield MSI Log Analyzer
How to use the MSI Log Analyzer
Running SQL Server Scripts
How to run SQL Server scripts in an installation
Merge Modules
How to create a Merge Module
How to create a configurable Merge Module
Creating Multilingual Installations
How to create a Multilingual Installation
Conclusion
The End
Appendix: Introduction to InstallScript
An Introduction to the InstallScript Language
System Requirements
In order to use this course, you must have the following:
PC running Microsoft Windows Server 2000, Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, XP, or Vista
QuickTime Player (
get it here)
DVD-ROM drive
Monitor running at a resolution higher than 1024x768 (ideally 1280x1024)
InstallShield 2008 (Professional or Premier edition)
Visual Studio 2005 Professional (If you want to rebuild and modify the sample applications included with
the course. However this is not totally necessary, as Release
versions of the applications are included)
The course movies were captured at 1024x768, and you should view them at a resolution
higher than 1024x768. Also, you may find that two
monitors or two machines are preferable. One to work with
InstallShield on, and one to view the course on.
Extensive editing was done where long periods of waiting were taken out. So
the course tends to move quickly, with the majority of the waiting occuring during
installation builds.
It is assumed that you are some type of software developer and possess a familiarity with programming or
scripting languages, such as C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, or VBScript. That knowledge will come in
handy during the Custom Action development parts of the course where InstallScript is used (InstallScript is
C-like). However, you are not required to know the InstallScript language for this course, as
a short tutorial is included in the Appendix.
Sample Movies
To watch sample movies from the course, please go
here.
Course Pricing
This extensive course is priced at
$148.00
for
14 hours, 46 minutes of instruction on one DVD.
Price:
$148.00