Questions on SQL Server install

[owski]

I have a question about SQL Server installation, I've seen this touched on but I have a fairly specific requirement. There are three main requirements:

1) We need to provide an install interface similar to ones provided by some Microsoft installs. The install needs to create a database and run some scripts, but it's mainly a question of UI. The user will be presented with three choices:
a) Install a new instance of SQL Server Express and create the database.
b) Create the database on a remote instance of SQL Server, this choice comes with a combo box where they can type in a server name, or pick from the drop down of all discoverable instances.
c) Create the database on an existing local instance. Same as b) above, except that it only displays the local instances.

The user can then select a database name and location for the database files. The install will then create the database and run a script to generate the schema.

2) If the database already exists, the user will be prompted to either use the database already there, or to overwrite it. This is in case they're reinstalling or installing on a new client computer and they want to re-use the database they had before. The install will need to read the version of the database schema (a value in a table) and determine if it needs to run any scripts, then run whichever scripts are necessary to bring the database up to the proper version.

3) Finally, during upgrades there needs to be the same basic functionality as #2, just that the user won't be prompted for the database information, it will be read from the existing installation.

That should do it. Thanks in advance for your help.

[CandiceJones]

This is all quite easily done; just use the dialog editor to create the dialogs, and MSIcode scripting to install the runtime and run scripts (as well as detect existing instances).