What is a \"logical component\" (Deploy .Net white paper)

[catsAreMyFriends]

In the white paper "Using InstallAware7 To Deploy Microsoft .NET Framework Applications", the following statement is made on page 10:

"The Features designer lets you define the logical components of your product"

Can someone explain what is meant by a "logical component" please!

(I'm a newbie)

Thanks,

cats

[CandiceJones]

It's an end-user visible feature of your product that they can turn on/off at install time. Called Features in the visual designers and created by the Define Component command in MSIcode script.

[bokkie]

Cats,

Tapping in to what Candice wrote think of the features as the logical partitions between what gets installed. You are probably, but perhaps unknowingly, already familiar with this. For example, a feature can install the core applications and files needed to run the minimum level of functionality. Other features can be optionally installed to include sample files, utilities, that sort of thing. You can, and it's quite common, acceptable to put everything into the default feature that all packages have. For cheap and cheerful installation the defaul feature is the equivalent of the one size fits all model.

If you put other optional files in other features it's very easy at design time to elect which are installed by default or which are not installed unless the user elects to do so.

[trivedisetu]

Can it be controlled which features are enabled/disabled for installation? This would be dependent on the serial code entered.

For e.g. if a customer only buys the base product, the additional features must be disabled during the installation process - Can this be done?

[bokkie]

Can it be controlled which features are enabled/disabled for installation? This would be dependent on the serial code entered.

For e.g. if a customer only buys the base product, the additional features must be disabled during the installation process - Can this be done?

Something like this?

Comment: TO-DO: Customize your minimum setup here
if Variable MINIMUM Equals TRUE
Deselect Component: FEATURE1
Deselect Component: FEATURE2
else
if Variable COMPLETE Equals TRUE
Select Component: FEATURE1
Select Component: FEATURE2
end
end

Above code is standard MSIcode generated and reflects the setup selection at runtime. This sample selects all in response to a complete installation and deselects all if it's a minimum installation. I see no reason why you can't wrap your own conditions around the selection/deselection in response to the serial code used. Does this help?

[trivedisetu]

Thank Peter. Will try this out shortly. I'll have to get familiar with MSICode first!