InstallShield 2016 Express Edition
Files are the core of any installation. The main purpose of an installation program is to transfer files from the source medium to the target destination. The Files view is divided into four panes: The two left panes contain folders and the two right panes display the files located within those folders. Above these four panes is the Feature list. Before you add files to your installation, you need to select the feature with which you want to associate your files. The feature that appears in the box is the feature to which your files are added.
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Pane |
Description |
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Source computer’s folders (Top Left) |
The Source computer’s folders pane is similar to the left pane in Windows Explorer. This pane contains folders located either locally or on a network. In this pane, you can navigate to the folder that contains the files that you want to add to your installation. |
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Source computer’s files (Top Right) |
The Source computer’s files pane displays the files that are in the currently selected folder of the Source computer’s folders pane. You can drag files from this pane to a location in one of the destination panes. The files that you drop into the bottom panes are added to your installation project. |
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Destination computer’s folders (Bottom Left) |
The Destination computer’s folders pane contains a list of predefined destinations, as well folders that you have added to your project. To add a custom folder that you want the installation to create on target systems, right-click a folder in this view and then click New Folder. Some predefined folders are hidden by default. For information on displaying these folders, see Displaying Predefined Folders in the Files View. For information on adding files and folders to 64-bit locations on target systems, see Challenges of Supporting Both 32-Bit and 64-Bit Target Operating Systems. |
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Destination computer’s files (Top Right) |
The Destination computer’s files pane displays of all the files that you have added to the currently selected destination folder. By right-clicking a file in this pane, you can cut, copy, paste, or delete the file, or you can edit its properties. |
You can add files to your installation project in one of three different ways. Each of these methods is described below:
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Method |
Description |
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Drag and Drop |
The most straightforward way to add files to your installation project is by using the panes in the Files view. The top two panes in this view are functionally equivalent to Windows Explorer. The bottom two panes represent the destination for your files. Simply drag source files from the top pane to the destination folder in the bottom pane. Note • If you drag and drop a folder from a source folder to the destination folder, InstallShield displays a dialog box that prompts you to indicate whether you want to make the folder a dynamic link to the folder. |
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Dynamic File-Linking |
Another way to add files to your installation is by linking to the contents of an entire folder, or to specific files in the folder. This method enables you to point to a specific folder, either locally or on a network, that contains files for your installation. Every time you build your installation, the selected contents of the folder are added to your feature. Additionally, you can use wild cards to filter which files are added to your installation. |
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Dependency Scanning |
A third way to add files to your installation is accomplished through the Dependencies view. This view contains wizards that can scan your installation project or a running application for all dependency files and add them to your installation. These wizards can also be launched from the Tools menu. |
Note • To refresh any of the panes in the Files view, click the pane you want to refresh and then press F5.
See Also
Adding Files and Folders to a Project
Removing Files and Folders from Target Systems
Tips for Managing Files and Folders in Your Project
Finding Files and Folders in Your Project
InstallShield 2016 Express Edition Help LibraryMay 2017 |
Copyright Information | Flexera Software |