System Configuration View

InstallShield 2022

Project:The System Configuration view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript
InstallScript MSI
InstallScript Object
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform

Every installation changes the target system in some way. The simplest installations might only copy files. More in-depth installations make registry changes, edit .ini files, or create shortcuts. InstallShield provides the following views for making advanced configurations.

Shortcuts

Project:The Shortcuts view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform

Shortcuts offer quick access to your installed application. You can create shortcuts and program folders on the desktop, the Start menu, and various other locations.

Registry

Project:The Registry view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript
InstallScript MSI
InstallScript Object
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform
QuickPatch

In the Registry view, you can create registry entries or import existing registry data into your setup.

ODBC Resources

Project:The ODBC Resources view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform

In the ODBC Resources view, you can add drivers, translators, and data sources to one or more of your application’s features. Select from installed ODBC resources or add new ones to the list, associate them with features, and then customize their attributes.

INI File Changes

Project:The INI File Changes view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform

The InstallScript language includes several initialization file functions for manipulating .ini files.

Although editing system .ini files is not recommended, you can edit these files in the INI File Changes view. This view enables you to create sections and keywords, or edit an .ini file on the target system.

Environment Variables

Project:The Environment Variables view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
MSM Database
Transform

The InstallScript language includes the GetEnvVar function for retrieving the current value of an environment variable, and it enables you to create an environment variable.

If you need to create, modify, or remove environment variables from the target system, you can define their settings in the Environment Variables view.

XML File Changes

Project:The XML File Changes view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
Transform

Sometimes you need to modify XML files that store settings related to your product as well as standard configuration files like web.config and machine.config. You can use the XML File Changes view in InstallShield to specify any XML file changes that should be made on the target system.

Text File Changes

Project:The Text File Changes view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
Transform

The InstallScript language includes string functions for finding and modifying string variables and literals.

The Text File Changes view is where you configure search-and-replace behavior for content in text files—for example, .txt, .htm, .xml, .config, .ini, and .sql files—that you want to modify at run time on the target system. The text files can be part of your installation, or they can be files that are already present on target systems.

Tip:The Text File Changes view enables you to modify XML files without using MSXML (which is a run-time requirement if you use the XML File Changes view to modify XML files).

Scheduled Tasks

Project:The Scheduled Tasks view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
Transform

The Scheduled Tasks view is where you create and configure automated tasks that you want to be created through the Windows task scheduler at run time on target systems. The files that you want to be launched by the scheduled tasks can be part of your installation, or they can be files that are already present on target systems.

Services

Project:The Services view is available in the following project types:

Basic MSI
DIM
InstallScript MSI
Merge Module
MSI Database
Transform

The Services view is where you specify whether to install, configure, start, stop, and uninstall Windows services during installation and uninstallation.

As an alternative, you can use the Services area under the Advanced Settings node of the Components view and the Setup Design view to install, configure, start, stop, and uninstall Windows services. If you configure service information in either of these areas, the other area is automatically updated accordingly.

See Also