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New & Used
Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 The Must-have Installation Tool for Windows Installer
Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 is the latest version of Wise Solutions, Inc.'s installation tool for Windows Installer. If you've used other Wise installation products, you'll feel right at home with Wise for Windows Installer 3.0. If not, you're in for a surprise.
When you start Wise for Windows Installer for the first time you're presented with the New Installation File dialog box (see Figure 1). This is the same dialog box you'll see if you choose File | New. Here you can choose to start a new empty project; start with an empty merge module; create a new transform; import a Wise script that was created with Wise InstallMaster, InstallBuilder, or InstallManager; import a VB project; run the Application Watch wizard; or run the SetupCapture wizard. Also, a pair of radio buttons let you choose whether you want to create a standard Windows Installer file or a Wise project file. I can't think of a reason not to create a Wise project file since the project files are smaller and allow you to create multiple product releases from a single project. A standard Windows Installer MSI file is automatically created when you compile a release.
Exploring the Installation Expert You'll see the main Wise Installation Expert screen shown in Figure 2 when you start a new empty project. One of the unique things about Wise products is that the Installation Expert doesn't use the standard Windows user interface. Wise had the courage and the talent to create a unique UI that's more powerful and easier to use than had they tried to mimic something more familiar that wasn't specifically designed for creating software installations. The heart of the expert's UI is the row of buttons, numbered one through six, at the top of the screen (Figure 3 provides a closer look). These buttons allow you to move easily through the six major steps of creating your installation. However, unlike most Windows experts or wizards that require you to move from step to step by clicking Next and Previous buttons, the Wise UI lets you see all the buttons concurrently so you can jump to any step simply by clicking the appropriate button.
Each button contains a list of functions you can perform as part of that step. For example, in step one you can create or edit features, add files to features, define which features are included in each installation type, and add any merge modules that need to be run as part of your installation. You have two choices when you click a button. You can click the right side of the button and automatically go to the first function in the list for that step or you can place the mouse cursor over one of the functions listed so it appears underlined, click, and jump directly to the screen for that function. To the right of each of the functions listed inside the button is a small recessed square. The square will appear darkened if you have made any changes. This lets you see at a glance where you have customized the installation and allows you to go directly to that function or feature.
Another impressive aspect of the Wise Installation Expert is its power. The problem with experts or wizards in most programs that let you perform complex tasks is that they let you perform only one small part of the task in each wizard, or the wizard only lets you build the shell of whatever you are doing and you must do a lot of customization outside the wizard to finish the job. As you'll see, this is not the case with the Wise Installation Expert. For the most part, it allows you to do the whole job from within the expert.
Building an Installation To give you a better understanding of what it's like to work with the Installation Expert, let's take a look at building an installation for a Delphi application. The first step when creating an installation that uses Microsoft's Windows Installer technology is to define the features that comprise your application. A feature is a file or collection of files that are installed as a unit. In an accounting system, for example, you might have features for the system manager, general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. Figure 4 shows a project with four features defined. When you first select Features you'll see a single feature named Complete under Installation Features. You can rename it by clicking the Details button. Select Installation Features or one of the existing features, and click the Add button to add a new feature under the one you selected. When you add or edit a feature, the Feature Details dialog box lets you set the name, title, and other properties of the feature, such as the directory to which it is installed, whether it is required, and whether it will be advertised.
Figure 5 illustrates how the screen will look after you select files. The top tree view shows the directory tree on your computer, and the bottom one shows the directory tree on the destination computer. Before selecting files use the Feature drop-down box to select the feature to which you want to add files, then select the destination folder and source folder, select the files, and click the Add button. You can also select entire folders from the source computer and click the Add Contents button to add the files to the target computer. When you do, you have the option of using wildcards to determine which files will be added, the option to include subdirectories, and the option to have the installation updated automatically as files are added to, or removed from, the source directory.
Wise for Windows Installer lets you define three installation types: Typical, Complete, and Custom. The Installation Types option lets you define which features are included in each installation type. Merge Modules lets you include merge modules in your installation. When you click the Add button you can choose from a list of more than 50 merge modules included with Wise, or you can click the Browse button to easily add any other merge module on your system.
Step two in the Installation Expert starts by letting you define the shortcuts you want created on the target system, and the folder in which to put the shortcuts. You can create shortcuts for files included in your installation or files that are already on the user's system, such as NOTEPAD.EXE. The Registry option displays a screen very much like the one for files, except the top tree is the registry on your system and the bottom one is the registry on the target system. Here you can define all of the registry keys that need to be created or modified. Choosing INI Files lets you create or modify INI files on the target system. The Services option under step two lets you start, stop, install, or remove services on the target system if the target system is running Windows NT or 2000. The last option in step two, ODBC, lets you install or remove ODBC drivers, DSNs, and translators.
Step three lets you define checks that will be performed on the target system before the installation begins. The Configuration option lets you check the Windows or Windows NT version, screen resolution and color depth, and Internet Explorer and Windows Installer versions. You can compose the error message the user will see for each check that you implement. Under Previous Version you can check for the existence on the target computer of one or more files, directories, INI files, registry entries, or components. Again, you can enter the error message the user will see if the required item is not present. In all cases, the installation terminates if a required check fails.
Step four lets you define the dialog boxes that will be displayed during the installation. For those who require text such as the License dialog box or the ReadMe dialog box, you can enter the text directly into Wise or import it from any text or RTF file.
The fifth step is where you define the releases for your application. Every installation must have at least one release, but you can have as many as you wish. For example, if you have a professional version of your application that includes all features and a standard version that includes only some of the features, you need to define two releases. Other reasons for multiple releases include support for multiple languages and different distribution media. When you define a release, you also decide whether to create only an MSI file or to create an EXE that will install Windows installer if it isn't already on the target computer. Selecting the Build option enables the Release combo box near the upper-right corner of the screen. Here you select each release, then choose the features that will be included. The Media option lets you set the properties of the distribution media for each release, and the Languages option lets you choose the languages for each release. Wise for Windows Installer ships with five built-in languages; the optional language pack offers an additional 20.
Step six is where you finish, and includes options for project information, summary information, upgrades, code signing, and Windows 2000. The Project option lets you enter the name, version number, and manufacturer information. You can also change the default installation directory here. The Summary option allows you to enter all the information you want users to see when they right-click the setup file in Windows Explorer and choose Properties. Using the Upgrades option, you can enter information about previous versions of your product that this installation will upgrade. If the previous installation doesn't exist, this installation will not work. The Code Signing option allows you to create a code-signed installation file. Finally, the Windows 2000 option lets you set how your application is displayed in the Windows 2000 and Windows Me Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet.
When you've finished creating your installation, use the Compile, Test, Debug, Run, and Distribute buttons at the bottom-right (again, see Figure 5) to test, debug, and distribute your installation. The Compile button creates your setup file, which will either be an EXE or MSI file (depending on the options you chose). The Test button allows you to run your installation and see exactly what the end user will see without making any changes to your system. The Debug button opens the debugger for Windows Installer, which lets you single-step through your installation, set breakpoints, and examine values. The Run button runs the installation and installs the software on your system. In addition to distributing your application to removable media or a network share, the Distribute button also lets you distribute your setup via FTP.
Using the Setup Editor The Setup Editor, shown in Figure 6, provides a completely different view of your installation, as well as the ability to edit the Windows Installer database tables directly. This screen is divided into three panes.
The left pane contains six tabs that correspond to the types of information with which you can work. A different tree view appears for each tab. The upper-right pane displays the detailed values for the selected item in the left pane. For example, if you select the Product tab, the left pane contains Launch Conditions, Properties, and Summary. Select Properties to display all the properties and their values in the upper-right pane. The lower-right pane contains help about the selected item in the left pane.
Properties and Summary information have already been described. Selecting Launch Conditions lets you create conditions that must be true for the installation to run. For example, you could require that the user be logged on as Administrator to install your application. Wise for Windows Installer makes creating launch conditions easy by providing a Condition Builder, which lets you build conditional expressions by making point-and-click choices from lists.
The Features and Dialogs tabs let you define your features and control which dialog boxes are displayed during installation. You can create your own custom dialog boxes or customize any of the built-in dialog boxes using the dialog editor. The Actions tab lets you edit existing actions or add custom actions. While it's not likely that you'll need to change any existing actions, there are times when you will want to add custom actions. Custom actions let you run an EXE or call DLL functions as part of your installation. You can even run VBScript or JScript files. The Tables tab lets you edit Windows Installer database tables directly and is for those who are intimately familiar with the Windows Installer SDK.
What's New? If you've used version 2 of Wise for Windows Installer, here's a summary of the new features in version 3. Editing Windows Installer database tables is now easier. You can add new rows to any table; show or hide empty tables; search the entire database for validation errors; or search and replace strings in the entire database, a single table, or a single column. You can also add your own tables to the Windows Installer database to store data used by custom actions. Support for undo, redo, cut, copy, and paste has been added to the Setup Editor. The Previous Version and Installation Types options in the Installation Expert, described earlier, are new in version 3. The Setup Editor now lets you move all of the components of a feature to a merge module. When you do, the components are automatically replaced in your installation by the merge module.
If you use VBScript or JScript to write code for custom actions or write macros to customize the IDE, you'll like the new color syntax highlighting in the code editor. The PDF manuals and the online help have been rewritten with step-by-step instructions for common tasks and more detailed technical information. The optional Language Pack adds pre-translated strings for 20 additional languages to make it easier to internationalize your applications. Finally, the debugger adds the ability to step through your installation and troubleshoot problems.
Documentation The documentation for Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 is extensive and excellent. The product ships with a Getting Started Guide in both hard copy and PDF formats. The guide steps you through installing the product and has chapters that introduce you to Windows Installer and provide a tour of Wise for Windows Installer and the basics of creating setups. In addition, the 544-page Reference Manual is included in PDF format. Coupled with the extensive online help, these manuals should provide answers to all your questions.
If you want more information to help determine if Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 is right for you, download the Evaluator's Guide. There's also has a free Windows Installer Resource Kit. If you are new to Microsoft's Windows Installer you'll find the Resource Kit worth having. Both are available at http://www.wisesolutions.com/wisewin.htm.
Versions Wise for Windows installer is available in Standard and Professional editions. In addition to the features in the Standard edition, the Professional edition includes the debugger, macro editor, transform creation wizard, the ability to create patches, automation support, and the ability to create custom actions from Wise Installation System 8.0 or higher scripts.
Conclusion Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 is the best installation tool I have seen for building Windows Installer setups. The Installation Expert is a superior marriage of power and ease of use. You'll be able to build all but the most complex installations without ever leaving the expert. However, if you need to create more sophisticated setups, the Setup Editor provides absolute power by letting you edit every table in the Windows Installer database. Even in the Setup Editor, Wise for Windows Installer is easier to use than other products I've seen - thanks to the well organized tabs and tree view and the help pane that provides detailed information about the area of your setup in which you are working. If you need to build installations using Windows Installer, you can't go wrong with Wise for Windows Installer 3.0.
Bill Todd is president of The Database Group, Inc., a database consulting and development firm based near Phoenix. He is co-author of four database programming books, author of more than 60 articles, a contributing editor to Delphi Informant Magazine, and a member of Team Borland, providing technical support on Borland Internet newsgroups. He is a frequent speaker at Borland Developer Conferences in the US and Europe. Bill is also a nationally-known trainer, and has taught Delphi programming classes across the country and overseas. Bill can be reached at mailto:billtodd_az@qwest.net.
Informant Fact File Wise for Windows Installer 3.0 is the best installation tool I have seen for building Windows Installer setups. The Installation Expert is a superior marriage of power and ease of use. In most cases, you'll be able to build all but the most complex installations without ever leaving the expert. If you need to build installations using Windows installer you can't go wrong with Wise for Windows Installer 3.0.
Wise Solutions, Inc. 5880 North Canton Center Road, Suite 450 Canton, MI 48187
Phone: (734) 456-2100 Fax: (734) 456-2345 E-Mail: mailto:info@wisesolutions.com Web Site: http://www.wisesolutions.com/ Price: Wise for Windows Installer Standard 3.0, US$449; Wise for Windows Installer Professional 3.0, US$899; Wise for Windows Installer Language Pack, US$795.
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