Project Types
InstallShield offers a number of different project types to assist you in creating the optimal project for your end users.
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Project Type |
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Description |
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Advanced UI |
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Edition:This project type is available in the InstallShield. If you open this type of project in the InstallShield Premier, it opens as a Suite/Advanced UI project. An Advanced UI project lets you create a bootstrap application with a contemporary, customizable user interface for a single .msi package, .msp package, or InstallScript package, as well as multiple InstallShield prerequisites. An Advanced UI installation uses a setup launcher (Setup.exe) to conditionally launch packages on target systems as needed. |
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Basic MSI |
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A Basic MSI project uses Windows Installer to provide the user interface for the installation. When you choose this project type, you need to create features and components, and specify all application files and other distributable data. |
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DIM |
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A DIM project is targeted toward engineering teams who want to foster collaboration, enable distributed installation development, and maximize efficiency in their organizations. A developer installation manifest (DIM) is a feature-sized collection of related items such as product files, shortcuts, registry entries, text file changes, IIS Web sites, and other elements that together make up a discrete, logically separated portion of a product installation. You can incorporate one or more DIMs into Basic MSI projects. |
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InstallScript |
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The InstallScript installation project provides the flexibility afforded by the InstallScript language and is driven by the proven InstallScript engine. |
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InstallScript MSI |
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An InstallScript MSI project uses both InstallScript and Windows Installer tables. With this project type, you need to create features and components, and specify all application files and other distributable data. |
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InstallScript Object |
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Using the InstallScript Object project, you can create an InstallShield merge module that uses InstallScript. This type of merge module, however, can be consumed only by InstallShield. |
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Merge Module |
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Select this option to create your own merge modules. You need to create any components and file associations. |
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MSI Database |
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Select MSI Database to edit your installation project in Direct Edit mode. This means that you can directly edit the Windows Installer tables within InstallShield to configure your installation. |
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MSM Database |
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Select MSM Database to edit your merge module in Direct Edit mode. This means that you can directly edit the Windows Installer tables within InstallShield to configure your merge module. |
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QuickPatch |
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This project type is recommended for installation authors who want to ship small, single updates to their end users. QuickPatch authoring provides an alternative to creating a patch configuration in the Patch Design view even though it provides less customization. Creation of a QuickPatch begins with the Create New QuickPatch Wizard. |
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Suite/Advanced UI |
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Edition:This project type is available in the Premier edition of InstallShield. A Suite/Advanced UI project lets you create a bootstrap application with a contemporary, customizable user interface for multiple .msi packages, .msp packages, InstallScript packages, .exe packages, Web Deploy packages, sideloading Windows App packages (.appx), and Windows Installer transactions, as well as multiple InstallShield prerequisites. A Suite/Advanced UI installation packages together multiple separate installations as a single installation while providing a unified user interface; it uses a setup launcher (Setup.exe) to conditionally launch packages on target systems as needed. |
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MSIX |
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Edition:This project type is available in the InstallShield Premier and InstallShield. Edition:MSIX is a Windows app package format that provides a modern packaging experience to all Windows apps. The MSIX package format preserves the functionality of existing app packages and/or install files in addition to enabling new, modern packaging and deployment features to Win32, WPF, and WinForm apps. |
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MSI to MSIX Conversion Wizard |
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The MSI to MSIX Conversion Wizard enables you to convert existing Windows Installer files (.msi files) to MSIX packages through a Basic MSI project. |
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MSIX Modification Package Project |
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Edition:This project type is available in the InstallShield Premier and InstallShield. MSIX Modification Package is a new type of MSIX package that store customizations (Introduced in Windows 10, version 1809). MSIX Modification Packages are applied as an overlay of an MSIX package, not at installation time, but upon execution of the application. Modification packages can also be plugins/add-ons that may not have an activation point. IT professionals can use this feature to flexibly change MSIX containers so that applications are overlaid by their enterprise's customizations. |
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Transform |
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A transform (.mst file) is a simplified Windows Installer database that contains the differences between two Windows Installer databases. Creating a new transform project launches the Open Transform Wizard. |
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Visual Basic .NET Wizard |
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Select this option to launch the Visual Studio .NET Wizard for Visual Basic .NET, C# .NET, and Visual C++ .NET. |
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C# .NET Wizard |
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Select this option to launch the Visual Studio .NET Wizard for Visual Basic .NET, C# .NET, and Visual C++ .NET. |
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Visual C++ .NET Wizard |
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Select this option to launch the Visual Studio .NET Wizard for Visual Basic .NET, C# .NET, and Visual C++ .NET. |
