Integration with Visual Studio 2010

[rxelizondo]

Hello,

This is the first time I try to run IntallAware from within Visual Studio and have a couple of quick questions.

1) I noticed that InstallAware generates a couple of extra scripts when a project is created from within Visual Studio, these files are: UninstallAutogen.mia, InstallAutogen.mia, PostInstallAutogen.mia and FinishAutogen.mia. I was wondering what is the significance of these files? Why are they generated when creating a setup from within Visual Studio but not directly from the InstallAware IDE?

2) Other than the files mentioned above, are there any other difference between generating a project from within Visual Basic or the InstallAware IDE? I am curious if there are any other differences even if they are subtle ones.

3) I also noticed when I create my InstallAware project from Visual Studio, InstallAware creates a folder under my Visual Studio project appropriately called “InstallAware”. This is fine but I am a little curious as to why the folder is not part of the project by default (you need to click the "Show All Files" to see the folder and then select "Include In Project" from the right-click popup menu) .

4) Lastly, I don’t believe that InstallAware has any built in functionality to work with source control (specifically Microsoft Team Foundation Server Source Control). Is this correct? If it doesn’t, are there any known issues with including the InstallAware project under a source control server?

Thank you.

[giaviv]

1) These are MSIcode scripts that are essentially doing what their name indicates.

2) There are no differences in generating the project, but when in the IA IDE, you can modify your installer more thoroughly.

3) This is the folder containing your separate IA installation project.

4) Correct - there is no integrated support of such systems. We have had some reports of issue with working with TFS and IA projects - you can search our forums and read about issues that others have had.

[rxelizondo]

Thanks giaviv

1)
These are MSIcode scripts that are essentially doing what their name indicates.

I get that, but why do you guys only create those file when the InstallAware project is created from Visual Studio? Is there a special connection between Visual Studio and those files? What if I delete them? Would I expect to have an issue under some special circumstance?

4) Correct - there is no integrated support of such systems. We have had some reports of issue with working with TFS and IA projects - you can search our forums and read about issues that others have had.

I wish you guy had a white paper on the issues a person could have when dealing with some of the most popular source control tools. Source control is an essential tool nowadays, if there is no support for source control in InstallAware then that is no problem, but it would be extremely helpful if you guys had a paper on the issues people will encounter rather than having to hunt them down.

Thanks.

[giaviv]

Creating a setup from visual studio created a specific type of setup from a specific template that includes these files.

[rxelizondo]

Thanks, could you please be more specific in answering the following two questions?:

Q1: Is there a special connection between Visual Studio 2010 and those files? In other words, is there code in the Visual Studio 2010 InstallAware plugin that relies on having those files available?

Q2: What if I delete them? Would I expect to have an issue under some special circumstance?

Thanks.

[giaviv]

As I said, there is no special connection, however these files are a part of the project type that VS creates when you use the IA plugin.
Do not delete them as they are part of the project.