File Associations Panel

InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition » Windows Mobile Wizard/Smart Device Setup Wizard

A file association is actually nothing more than a series of registry entries. When the end user double-taps a file, the Windows Mobile operating system looks in the registry to determine which application—if any—should be used to open it, based on the file extension. The operating system also looks in the registry to determine what icon to display for the file when it is displayed in the Windows Explorer or Open dialog boxes, for example.

The File Associations panel lets you easily create the registry entries needed to associate your application executable with a file extension. This enables your application to be launched whenever an end user opens a file with the associated extension. For example, if you double-tap a file with a .pwd file extension, Pocket Word is launched to view the document. This is because Pocket Word has been associated with the .pwd file extension.

Note: Only executable files with an .exe file extension can be associated with a document type. This panel is displayed only if you have at least one executable file set to be installed into the folder specified on the Destination Folder panel.

When you add a file association to your project, a series of registry entries is automatically created on the Registry Information panel under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. You could make all the necessary registry entries yourself, but it is much easier to create them using this panel.

Caution: Windows CE Version 2.x has a limit on the amount of registry data that can be created in a single installation. If you experience problems with registry entries being created incorrectly, you may need to decrease the number of file associations and other registry entries. You can also use a setup .dll file with your installation to create the registry entries.

Adding Associations

To add a file association to the File Associations box:

Click Add or right-click in the File Associations box and select Add. The File Association Properties dialog box opens.

Specify the properties for the file association that you are adding and then click OK.

Modifying Associations

To modify the properties of a file association, do one of the following:

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In the File associations box, select the file association and click Properties.

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Right-click the file association and click Properties.

Removing Associations

To remove a file association from the File associations box, do one of the following:

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In the File associations box, select the file association and click Remove.

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Right-click the file association and click Remove.

File Associations Panel

InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition Help Library

May 2012