Serial validation --developer edition

[vz2rjohnson]

Hello:

I am currently involved in a class that teaches about installer design and creation and i have been assigned the task by my team members to come up with i serial vzlidationscheme. we are bing trained on IA developer edition and i caonnot figure it out. i go into msi code and in the left hand side under diaogs rightclick on 'registerwithserial' and say add dialog to progect. i commplete the next screen that is asking me if i wish to oad a dailog from file or use predefined themed dialog set, i choose to oad from file and use /ia/thmees/bejeweled/registerwithserial and that is where i gert confused i have read the forums (no help) and read the hep docs (stil no hep). the forums posts talk about that i need to initialize vsariabes key1-key5 before the dialog is shown but i canot even get the dialog code to show in msicode vierw. someone pease help me with this task as it is a task that i cannot seem to figure out on my own.

[giaviv]

Hi,

Actually the best way to get up and running with serial validation in InstallAware is by using the Serial Validation sample that ships with InstallAware.
In the InstallAware IDE, click the InstallAware button -> New Project -> Quick Start. Switch over to Samples and select the Serial Validation sample.
This will show you exactly how to build a serial validation setup in IA.

[vz2rjohnson]

good idea i think if a i remember correctly, that this relies on a compiler variable called keygen. compiler variables cannot be used in IA developer that wqould force my instructor to buy IA studio. but i will look into it.

Thanks!

[giaviv]

Sure, let me know if you have any other questions!

[vz2rjohnson]

how would I accomplish my goal using ony the tools availibe to me in IA developer as that is all we have access to in the cassroom. I am remoting in from home so that i can get thsi streightened out for my team as we have to do a presentation on monday of our fisst installer. So if you could walk me through step-by-step to write the keygen, include the dialog and then i think i'll have it from there.

Thanks

[giaviv]

IA Developer comes with MSIcode so you should be able to get it done.

Have you had a look at the Serial Validation sample? It is an excellent way to get started because it's doing exactly what you are trying to do.
Do you have any specific questions?

[vz2rjohnson]

Hello:
Yes, I have had time to look at the serial validation sample what if have done is the following:
a copy the keygen code to a seperate installer project blank project
b include the serail number generator script
c compile the keygen as a seperate project from the main installer
THEN
1 in the serial number generator script changed the seed values
2 copied the the initialize variables section found in the define setup globals section form the sampe to the define setup globals section in my project
3 removed the existing user information dialog including any and all control statements such as if and else and so on up to the point of the next dialog
4 copied the user information screen incuding all control statements such as if and or else and so on to the exact ocation that i had previously deleted
5 include the serial nnumber validator script in the include scripts section fo my project
6 compile the project
7 test the project entering the information obtained from the compiled keygen
8 get an error about that the serial data i have entered is invalid

what an i doing wrong?

[giaviv]

Hi Richard,

Actually the best way to do this is not to copy things out of the Serial Validation sample, but to actually use it as a base for your project.
Create a project from that template and copy your project into it other than copying it into your project.