File Linking Tab

InstallShield 2019 Express Edition » Folder Properties Dialog Box

The File Linking Tab of the Folder Properties dialog box enables you to specify dynamic folders. This dialog box can be accessed by right-clicking on a destination folder in the Files view and clicking Dynamic File Linking.

Settings for the File Linking Tab of the Folder Properties Dialog Box

Setting

Description

Source folder

Enter the full path to the folder that you want to have dynamically linked, or click the Browse button to navigate to it.

Include subfolders

To dynamically link the files in each subfolder, select this check box.

For information on how InstallShield creates components for the dynamically linked files in subfolders, see Determining the Appropriate Component Creation Method for Dynamically Linked Files.

Self-register all files

To self-register every file in the dynamic link, select this check box.

Create using best practice methods

To specify that InstallShield should adhere to best practices when creating the components for dynamically linked files, select this check box. When best practices for component creation are followed, InstallShield performs the following tasks at build time for all of the files that meet the include and exclude filter criteria:

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InstallShield creates a separate component for each portable executable (PE) file in the dynamically linked folder. Each PE file is the key file of its component.

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InstallShield adds all non-PE files at the root level of the dynamic link to the component that contains the link.

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If the dynamic link includes a subfolder, InstallShield creates a new component for all of the non-PE files in that subfolder. If the dynamic link includes more than one subfolder, InstallShield creates a separate component for all of the non-PE files in each subfolder.

To specify that InstallShield should not follow best practices when creating the components for dynamically linked files, clear this check box. For this component creation method, InstallShield performs the following tasks at build time for all of the files that meet the include and exclude filter criteria:

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InstallShield creates one component for all of the files that are in the root-level dynamically linked folder, regardless of the file types.

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If the dynamic link includes one or more subfolders, InstallShield creates a separate component for all of the files in each subfolder, regardless of the file types. The first dynamically linked file in a subfolder’s component is the key file of that component.

This check box is selected by default for all new dynamic links.

Tip • A component is the smallest installable part of a product. The Express edition of InstallShield creates components for you automatically. For more information, see Installation Fundamentals.

For more information, see Determining the Appropriate Component Creation Method for Dynamically Linked Files.

Include all files

To include the entire contents of your linked directory in your installation, select this option.

Include/exclude files based on the following wild-card patterns

To include or exclude file types, select this option. Enter the file extension in the include or exclude field, preceded by an asterisk (*). Separate multiple entries with a comma.

For example, if all of your image files are in one folder along with sound files and you want to dynamically link only the image files, you could specify that you would like to include only .bmp and .ico files in the dynamically linked folder. To do so, you would use an asterisk (*) in your include pattern, as in the following example:

*.bmp, *.ico

To include or exclude a specific file, you would enter the full file name in the include or exclude pattern box.

Note • For information on dynamic file linking limitations, see Dynamic File Linking.

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File Linking Tab

InstallShield 2019 Express Edition Help Library

April 2019