InstallAware

When I first built my project for web deployment, IA created 3 Web Media Block files (.NET 2.0, Windows Installer, my product). The URLs it created for the three Web Media Blocks contained a mix of upper case and lower case.

However, the three .7zip files that it created had names that were all in lower case. I had to manually edit the web block entries to change the urls to all lower case in order to make it work.

Is this a bug? If so, are you aware of it?

Casing does not matter on Windows servers.

CandiceJones wrote:Casing does not matter on Windows servers.

Yes, but that wasn't the question. Guess what? Not everyone hosts on Windows servers...

There should be consistency in the casing between the names that the installer expects and the files created so as to avoid the need for manual editing.

I agree with the last comments. My target distribution system is a Linux web server (very prevalent on the internet). Linux IS case-sensitive. Unless you get the casing correct, you are just setting the install developer for failure.

InstallAware is a Windows tool. You could have 3 different casings in 3 separate web media block directives for the same web media block name, and expect 3 different web media block files to be created. That's not going to happen because the underlying file system on the machine where you do the builds is case insensitive.

When deploying to Linux servers, just observe correct casing in your web media block declarations.

"You could have 3 different casings in 3 separate web media block directives for the same web media block name, and expect 3 different web media block files to be created."

That is not the issue at all. You know it isn't.

The Installer - when adding (for example the dotnet framework) adds the following directive in the Web Media Blocks URL

http://www.mywebsite.com/Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.7zip

However, it creates a webblock of this name:

http://www.mywebsite.com/microsoft .net framework 2.0.7zip

My suggestion was that there should be consistency between the 2 and that would assistt your users that use Linux servers to host and distribute their apps. For people hosting on Windows it will make no difference whatsoever.

I am not saying that Installaware should be case sensitive and be able to make 3 webblocks of different casing - that's ridiculous and it isn't the point being made.

If you are adding a directive to the installer to download and install "Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.7zip" then why does installaware not simply create the file with the same file name instead of "microsoft .net framework 2.0.7zip".

Why have this inconsistency? Is there some logical reason?

"When deploying to Linux servers, just observe correct casing in your web media block declarations."

Well, why can't the tool "observe correct casing in [your] web media block declarations"? Why should users have to remember to do it for each installation they create.

Surely it's not that hard to change and would assist many users.

Thanks Glen. I was beginning to question how customer-focused the folks at IA are. To suggest that we should have to "hand edit" a problem that they create in their product was quite a surprise (and disappointment) to me. Thanks for chiming in with such a well-worded argument.

Actually, InstallAware is being consistent by using a single casing for your web media block file names, regardless of the actual casings used in your web media block declarations. Otherwise the problem I described will occur and actually this would be the inconsistency, regardless of what you yourself think of its relevance.

You can even use multiple URLs in your web media block URL fields. This will work. Does this mean that InstallAware should extrapolate and create one copy of the web media block file for each URL entered?

I suggest you think issues thoroughly before jumping the gun. What works for one customer may confuse the other; because we're not centered on one particular customer (you) doesn't mean that we're not doing what's in the best interest of our customers at large.

Of course that's how you might choose to perceive the issue, even then please keep posts on topic (do not rant).

Candice,

I don't believe that anything in my post could be considered a 'rant'. And I believe I was totally 'on topic'. Please point out where you believe I was ranting or off-topic and I will attempt to prevent it happening again.

You can even use multiple URLs in your web media block URL fields. This will work. Does this mean that InstallAware should extrapolate and create one copy of the web media block file for each URL entered?

Well, obviously not, because as you said earlier, Installaware is a Windows tool and that wouldn't work even if that was desired, which it isn't.

Can we just take one step back?

When I create my own web blocks, if I use multiple URLS and muck up my Installation hosted on a linux server by creating one with a declaration of upper and lower case and one with all lower case, then so be it - I'm the dill who mucked up and has to fix it. I don't expect Installaware to create multiple web blocks, I don't expect Installaware to do anything differently to what it does now.

But I wasn't referring to web blocks created by the end user.

My issue is with the Installaware tool automatically adding declarations for pre-requistes such as the .Net framework that are known not to work on Linux hosting.

When I check the box to add the .net framework I see that 2 scripts are added to the project (checknet20 and setupnet20). At that point the Web Block declarations also appear in the project.

It surely would not be difficult to change those declarations when they are generated, so that they match the output file.

Please explain to me how that specific point (italicized above) is not in the best interest of your customers at large. My perception is that it makes no difference to people hosting on Windows and helps those hosting on Linux. Is that perception incorrect?

Wouldn't this "generating the .net framework declaration in the same casing as the web block file" actually assist more customers than the current method? Despite your comment to the contrary, I have thought this through and cannot see how it can be construed as a negative.

If I come back to my project and add additional URLs for the framework and am silly enough to muck up the casing then as I said, thats my fault.

I am not suggesting any change to the way web blocks are created.

I'm simply saying that the declaration created automatically by Installaware when adding a pre-requisite should be consistent in casing with the file created.

Regards,

Glen

Hi, besides hand editing, is there any solution for this casing issue? I'm hoping/dreaming of a checkbox that says create lower case Web Media blocks.

Dear tofutim,

I have already replied in your other post:
http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8700

Regards