Adding Assemblies to a Universal Dynamic Suite

InstallShield 11 Universal

Instructions for adding built assemblies to a Universal Dynamic Suite are provided below.

• These instructions only apply if the Suite Build Configuration's Archive Type Info property is not set to "Custom Size Archive" or "CDROM Archive." With those types, the suite installation can be built to span multiple media. Therefore, you must place the assemblies' directory structures into a common directory, then specify that common directory in the specified type's Assemblies Folder property.
• When a Dynamic Suite project that was not built with the ability to be spanned is rebuilt, the directories that were under the suite's assemblies directory are deleted. You will need to copy each referenced assembly's directory structure to the assemblies directory again before deploying the suite.

To add assemblies to a Dynamic Suite:

1. Open each assembly project in Universal.
2. In the Releases view, build each assembly project with their Assembly Build Configuration/Include Product File property set to "True." This causes the build to create a productRef.inf file in the output directory for the built assembly, which is required in order for the suite to reference the assembly. For example, below is the directory structure and contents of a built assembly:
   
   <UUID>/<Version>/assembly.dat
                  /productRef.inf
3. Using any text editor, open the productRef.inf file for each assembly and set its INSTALL_LOCATION property. If you specify a relative path, the assembly will be installed relative to the installation location of the suite. For more information regarding this property and how it works in a Dynamic Suite, see Resolve Suite Product Properties Action.
4. Open the Dynamic Suite project in Universal.
5. In the Releases view, build the suite project using a Suite Build Configuration. Once the build has completed successfully, an assemblies directory is created in the output directory structure.
   
   For example, the output directory structure of a Dynamic Suite that was built with its Suite Build Configuration/Output Directory property set to "mySuites" would be as follows:
   
   mySuites/disk1/assemblies
6. Copy the entire directory structure for each built assembly into the Dynamic Suite's assemblies directory. At run time, the suite will install all of the assemblies that are located there.
   
   The order in which the assemblies will be installed/uninstalled is based first on the dependencies between them and then alphabetically by their top directory name. This occurs only if their project's Install and Uninstall Precedence properties were left set at the default of "-1." If you changed either of these properties in the project before building it as an assembly, then the specified precedence(s) will be followed.
   
   To change this, follow the steps below:
   
   
   1. Open the assembly project in the Universal interface.
   2. In the Installation Design view (Universal Installer) or Product Reference view (Universal Static Suite), expand the Advanced Properties.
   3. Change the Install and/or Uninstall Precedence properties, as required.
   4. Rebuild the project as an assembly.

See Also

Patching Dynamic Suites