Adding Upgrade-Specific Actions to Sequences

InstallAnywhere 2020

InstallAnywhere enables you to add actions that perform upgrade-related tasks to the Pre-Install and Post-Install sequences of your project. In addition, InstallAnywhere lets you add Check Running Mode rules to actions and other elements of sequences.

Adding an Upgrade-Specific File or Folder Action to a Sequence

When an end user launches an upgrade a target system that has an earlier version of the product that needs to be updated, the uninstallation of the earlier version of the product occurs after the Pre-Install sequence. Therefore, if you need to perform any file or folder operations such as copying files before the uninstallation occurs, you can use the following upgrade-specific actions in the Pre-Install sequence:

Copy File Action
Copy Folder Action
Delete File Action
Delete Folder Action
Move File Action
Move Folder Action

Note that if you use these Pre-Install actions in installation mode and the target destination is $USER_INSTALL_DIR$, the user’s installation directory is created before the Pre-Install sequence.

Similarly, you can use these same actions in the Post-Install sequence.

To add an upgrade-specific file or folder action for an upgrade to the Pre-Install or Post-Install sequence:

1. In the Advanced Designer, on the Sequence page, click Pre-Install or Post-Install.
2. Click the Add Action button. The Choose an Action dialog box opens.
3. Click the action you want to add, and then click the Add button. InstallAnywhere adds the action to the Pre-Install Action List. The Choose an Action dialog box remains open, enabling you to add additional actions as needed.
4. Use the arrow keys to move the action up or down in the action list.
5. Add the Check Running Mode rule:
a. On the action’s customizer, click the Rules tab.
b. Click the Add Rule button. The Choose a Rule dialog box opens.
c. Select the Check Running Mode rule, and then click the Add button.
d. Select the Upgrade option.
e. Configure the rule as needed.

To specify an action’s settings, select the action and use its customizers at the bottom of the view. For detailed information on each action’s customizer settings, see Actions.

Adding an Upgrade-Specific Check Running Mode Rule to an Element in a Sequence

You can add a Check Running Mode rule to an action group, action, or other element that runs only in upgrade mode.

To add an upgrade-specific Check Running Mode rule to an action or other element in a Pre-Install, Install, or Post-Install sequence:

1. In the Advanced Designer, on the Sequence page, click Pre-Install, Install, or Post-Install.
2. Find the action or other element that you want to have the Check Running Mode rule.
3. On the element’s customizer, click the Rules tab.
4. Click the Add Rule button. The Choose a Rule dialog box opens.
5. Select the Check Running Mode rule, and then click the Add button.
6. Select the Upgrade option.
7. Configure the rule as needed.

To learn more about configuring a rule, see Building Complex Rule Expressions.

See Also