An Installer Creator?

I need to create an installer. I have tried numerous ones (can't remember all the names) and all have been crap! They either don't set up the right system files needed or don't get the external files that I need. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good installer

I have a program written in VB, of course it uses numerous DLL's and OCX's. I have a couple of folders that contain images and databases and dat files in the program directory. I need to register a file type. These are simple things that every program does, but for some reason, I have yet to see an installer that does all of this stuff.

Please, any help would be appreciated.

#130919

doesn't the package and deploy thingy that comes with vb do that?

#130943

Wiz, have you tried Inno ?

It's become one of my favorites (Y)

#130952

Hey, that might come in handy, thanks

#130954

www.installshield.com

after you install like the proggie, installshield express, they will actually call you by phone and answer any questions you may have and ask if you have downloaded and installed it okay. they are very nice, and you will get like three emails from them as well just checking up!

-Lou

#130963

Originally posted by wookietv@Mar 17 2004, 02:31 PM

doesn't the package and deploy thingy that comes with vb do that?

Yeah, but It doesn't get all files in the two sub-directories I have, unless I stupid.

Wiz, have you tried Inno ?

www.installshield.com

after you install like the proggie, installshield express, they will actually call you by phone and answer any questions you may have and ask if you have downloaded and installed it okay. they are very nice, and you will get like three emails from them as well just checking up!

-Lou

Thank you all for your help. I was supposed to have a beta distributed earlier today, but this held me back. Thank you again.

#130986

would it be privy information to say what you're creating in basic :naughty:

#131032

Unfortunatley, it's not for the OSX Emulation community, although I have to admit that I used a lot of elements from the iTunes side.

I will how to see the response from this program to be (to see how good my programming skills actually are) and then I do have a couple ideas for OSX Emulation apps.

#131054

You know, after applying some thought into is, Inno is awsome. I does everything I wanted to do. Except for the fonts. I'll figure it out dammit!

#131066

Font installation? I think all you have to do is copy them up to %windir%\fonts

(unless they are Type 1's, in that case I'm not so sure)

#131074

Personally, i'm a fan of NSIS with the Atomic Monks GUI... it's a little bit tough to use, but it's quite handy once you figure it out. the Atomic GUI is sweeet too.

#131096

Anyone know where i can find a vb demo? I really wanna try to code, or at least see what it looks like...

#131105

Originally posted by Flarex@Mar 17 2004, 09:28 PM

Anyone know where i can find a vb demo? I really wanna try to code, or at least see what it looks like...

VB isn't free, so if you just want to begin, it's not a great choice.

If you want to see what programming is all about, I read this great little intro called "Instant Hacking". It uses Python, which is freely available. Its nice and short and lets you see if you're interested.

For some reason though, the website is down, so here's the google cache:

http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:http:.../instant-python

I'm a python bigot though.

#131157

Originally posted by contrasutra@Mar 18 2004, 03:24 AM

VB isn't free, so if you just want to begin, it's not a great choice. [...]

You can, however, get the .Net SDK for free, which has a VB.Net compiler in it...

You could skip VB and go straight to .Net

#131266

I don't know anything at all about coding, html don't count. Is the .net sdk a program that allows me to add images into a given area and then give them a function? Or is the .net sdk, a text file telling you how to program, and then you have to program in a text file?

#131295

btw: if you have all the DLL's and OCXs in the same directory it will work.

A sipmle:

@echo off

md "C:\Program Files\%1"

unzip [filename].zip "C:\Program Files\%1"

C:\> install.bat wizapp

should get you up and running.

The VB installer has always worked well for me. Install Shield it great it has a dependancy scanner.

#134183

Originally posted by Flarex@Mar 18 2004, 12:00 PM

I don't know anything at all about coding, html don't count. Is the .net sdk a program that allows me to add images into a given area and then give them a function? Or is the .net sdk, a text file telling you how to program, and then you have to program in a text file?

no the .net SDK is a program that your run from command prompt to make an EXE out of code that you wrote in like notepad. I rember there was a 100% free solution for c# (the .net version of c++, a good place to start imho) but i dont rember the name.

#134187

Originally posted by lostspyder@Mar 24 2004, 06:07 AM

I rember there was a 100% free solution for c# (the .net version of c++, a good place to start imho) but i dont rember the name.

Ok i found it:

http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/

#134355

Originally posted by lostspyder@Mar 24 2004, 04:08 PM

Ok i found it:

http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/

Even better than that is Borland's C# builder which is a great program and free for non-comercial use. I used to to make a start in C#.

#134449

I use installshield, it's the only one I have found that gets all the dependencies correct. If your a student or know someone who is you can get vb for pretty much nothing from the school, although it will most likely be .net. I personally would skip VB altogether and go straight to .net. There are so many changes and enhancements that once you learn vb you will have to re-learn .net.

Later,

Maz

#134454