Source Control and InstallAware

Craig Daniel · Post by **Craig Daniel** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 5:02 pm

After a couple of searches in this forum, I can't believe nobody's asked these questions before? First, which files in an InstallAware project should I include if I want to put that project into source (version or revision) control? Or perhaps a better way to ask would be which files should I NOT include?

And secondly, are there any plans to add source control integration into InstallAware? And if so, would you be planning to support Microsoft Visual Source Safe and Team System?

Alex_Ronquillo · Post by **Alex_Ronquillo** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:31 pm

After a couple of searches in this forum, I can't believe nobody's asked these questions before? First, which files in an InstallAware project should I include if I want to put that project into source (version or revision) control? Or perhaps a better way to ask would be which files should I NOT include?

Nobody has asked this before because the answer is in the help file, topic "Saving and Moving a Project"

And secondly, are there any plans to add source control integration into InstallAware? And if so, would you be planning to support Microsoft Visual Source Safe and Team System?

It is not planned in the short term.

swarovski · Post by **swarovski** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:25 am

Hi Craig Daniel,
I am currently using SVN for version control.
For each script, I manually copy as Text and then paste them to a text file.

Then commit those text files to the SVN database.
So that I can see what's changes to the InstallAware scripts.

Craig Daniel · Post by **Craig Daniel** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:29 am

That's a nice idea swarovski, I might do that. Too bad IA doesn't use a readable text file for the script.

The help topic Alex refers to does not answer the question adequately: Which files in a project folder should be preserved (saved, source controlled, backed up, etc)? This help topic mentions .mia, .mpr, .dfm, and "other support items". It seems pretty clear that there are files other than these that need to be preserved - but which ones?

So I think a better question is this: Which files definitely do NOT need to be saved? I guess this is just a picky point on my part, but I don't like having files in source control that don't need to be there.

Alex_Ronquillo · Post by **Alex_Ronquillo** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:51 pm

OK. The files you don't need are the miaf, brk and fld files. Preserve all other files.

swarovski · Post by **swarovski** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:14 am

Hi Craig, I am glad this could help.

For me, I will add all files into SVN even the backup files. Hard disk nowadays are cheap, hehe.
And I am not quite sure those extensions of files in the IA folder.
So far I know *.bak is backup of mia script.
*.mia is script file.
*.dfm which is binary is the dialog.

For IA scripts files,
*.mia will change when you change the script.
So, for each script file I will create one text file. (that store the text from "copy as text")

This is not perfect yet.
As some values are not reflected in the "copy as text".
e.g.
Terminate Program

The Window Class Name which is optional will not reflected.
However, this is the best way I know so far to "monitor" the changes with the help of SVN.

Craig Daniel wrote:That's a nice idea swarovski, I might do that. Too bad IA doesn't use a readable text file for the script.

The help topic Alex refers to does not answer the question adequately: Which files in a project folder should be preserved (saved, source controlled, backed up, etc)? This help topic mentions .mia, .mpr, .dfm, and "other support items". It seems pretty clear that there are files other than these that need to be preserved - but which ones?

So I think a better question is this: Which files definitely do NOT need to be saved? I guess this is just a picky point on my part, but I don't like having files in source control that don't need to be there.

jsmith · Post by **jsmith** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:32 am

Alex_Ronquillo wrote:OK. The files you don't need are the miaf, brk and fld files. Preserve all other files.

PLEASE NOTE: The .miaf files are important. You DO need them. DO check them in to source control.

See: http://www.installaware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4035

cpdaniel · Post by **cpdaniel** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:54 pm

Alex_Ronquillo wrote:
And secondly, are there any plans to add source control integration into InstallAware? And if so, would you be planning to support Microsoft Visual Source Safe and Team System?
It is not planned in the short term.

I'll add my $0.02 to that request: Please add MSSCCI support to the InstallAware IDE. Having to manually pend edits to TFS is a pain. IA is the only tool in my toolchain that's missing this vital feature.

ulrichard · Post by **ulrichard** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:14 am

And if you do something for version control, don't forget the "exclude folder" feature for the install files command as discussed at:

http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewt ... bdirectory

http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewt ... a2edc70571

the proposed solution on the second page of the second thread with using a file exclusion filter like "*\\.svn\\*" works, but it's a bit around the corner.

Rgds
Richard

jeff@split · Post by **jeff@split** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:39 am

After looking both here and in Help, I still don't feel there is a robust definition of which files are necessary to replicate a project.

Help says just copy everything, but that's sloppy and unprofessional, and can have negative consequences (if you need a scenario I'll provide one).

Even after collecting the scattered advice, I'm still not sure about these files:

*.mtx
*.MAP
translations.* (apparently copied from my export folder)

Can we please get a definitive and reliable list of which files are needed?

ACheng · Post by **ACheng** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:18 pm

I totally agree with Jeff@split, support for source control is seriously lacking in Installaware 7.

Will someone from Installaware please address this source control question?[/color] [/b] Looks like nothing official posted since 12/2007.

We've expanded our product line with different install requirements for each product and several different builds within each product line for licensed features. Keeping track is getting to be a nightmare.

MichaelNesmith · Post by **MichaelNesmith** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:06 am

You do need to check-in everything in your project folder, as well as any files you reference from other folders (such as include scripts), with the exception of BAK files and plug-in DLL files that are copied during the build process.