InstallAware 2005 Express / Newbie Issues

[EricB]

I have been using InstallAware 2005 Express edition for about 2 weeks now, and I have run into a few "issues". I don't know if these are limitations of the Express edition of InstallAware, or if they are limitations of my "newness" to InstallAware, but these are the issues I have so far:

1. Can't force a "restart" at the end of the installation
2. Can't add an empty directory to the "target" folder
3. Can't re-load a project into the wizard
4. Can't easily determine what files need to be added to the project
other than loading VS.NET and going through the references are
looking in the .VBProj file
5. When installing .NET or MDAC refresh, it doesn't seem to be forcing
a restart.
6. It seems that if you don't use the wizard, but just create the project
manually, the .NET and MDAC refresh don't get added, even if you
select a .NET project on the initial "New Project" dialog
7. Sometimes when compiling to a "Compressed Single Self-Installing
EXE" the compiler generates 2 files rather than a single file.
Recompiling generally fixes this issue.

Don't get me wrong, I think the product is great (MUCH better than InstallShield). I just wanted to point out these things. Hopefully you will have an anwer to these issues that is as simple as "you can do this by doing xxx".

Thanks,

Eric

[sinan]

1. Can't force a "restart" at the end of the installation
With Express, you can restart only if Windows Installer thinks its right to restart. You cannot force a restart otherwise. With other editions, since you have access to scripting, you can do whatever you wish.

2. Can't add an empty directory to the "target" folder
Express cannot create an empty folder, other editions can.

3. Can't re-load a project into the wizard
What would you want this for? The visual editors are intended to be used after the project has been created in the wizard.

4. Can't easily determine what files need to be added to the project
other than loading VS.NET and going through the references are
looking in the .VBProj file
Unfortunately, no edition has the capability to automatically determine references at this time. This will be addressed in an update.

5. When installing .NET or MDAC refresh, it doesn't seem to be forcing
a restart.
This is an issue with the template/project wizard generated scripts, and will be addressed in an update. With higher editions, its a trivial task to go in and correct the setup scripts to add this behavior.

6. It seems that if you don't use the wizard, but just create the project
manually, the .NET and MDAC refresh don't get added, even if you
select a .NET project on the initial "New Project" dialog
The .NET template installs only the .NET runtime by default, this is by design.

7. Sometimes when compiling to a "Compressed Single Self-Installing
EXE" the compiler generates 2 files rather than a single file.
Recompiling generally fixes this issue.
Odd, what is this additional file?

Thanks for your feedback - all feedback is welcome.

[EricB]

#3. Because some of the answers on the forum say "in the wizard page x do y"

#6. I thought somewhere in IA Express I read that .NET framework and MDAC Refresh were included in the project

#7. If I remember correctly, there was a very small msi with my project name, and a large (correct size for the install) setup.exe. This may not be correct since I have only had it happen 2 times, and I didn't save the files.

Any chance that a "force restart" and "add empty directories" features could be included in the update?

Any idea on when an update will be coming out?

Thanks,

Eric

[sinan]

3) Yes, I believe this was the case with the Features view generating non-compiling code on Express, this will be resolved in the next update so there will be no more need to use the wizard page.

7) It might have been Explorer lazy with an update - press F5 to make sure you are seeing the latest set of files in the folder.

The additional features you request will not be provided in an update to Express - they are features that enter the Developer/Studio range.

[EricB]

Thanks,

Eric