Build Tab

InstallShield 2019 Express Edition » Releases View » Release

The Build tab is where you configure how InstallShield should package your release.

Settings on the Build Tab

Setting

Media Type

Description

Release Location

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD, SingleImage, WebDeployment

Enter the path to the top-level directory where your release will start to be built, or click the ellipsis button (...) to browse to the location.

Media Size

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD

This setting shows the size of the currently selected media; it is read-only for all media except custom. The decimal separator is a period (.). When you build your release, InstallShield splits the files across disk image folders that are no larger than the value that is specified in this setting.

The Media Size Unit setting indicates whether the value in the Media Size setting is in megabytes or gigabytes.

Media Size Unit

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD

This setting displays the unit size for the current media. For example, CDs are measured in megabytes and DVDs are measured in gigabytes. You cannot change this setting unless you are using the custom media type.

Cluster Size

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD

A cluster is the smallest unit of space on a disk. This size, measured in bytes, is the minimum amount of space that is allocated for each file. If the cluster size is set at 1024 bytes and you have a file that is 2000 bytes, that file will take up two clusters on the disk. If the file is only 1000 bytes, it requires only one cluster. However, the rest of the space in that cluster is not available for any other file.

You cannot modify the cluster size for a predefined media type. This setting is read-only unless you are configuring the custom media type.

Compression

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD, SingleImage, WebDeployment

Specify whether your product’s data files should be compressed:

•

Compressed—InstallShield compresses all of your product’s data files into .cab files.

•

Uncompressed—InstallShield does not compress your product's files into .cab files.

Note • The output of the build process depends on the media type that you are building (such as CD-ROM, DVD-5, or SingleImage), whether compression is used (as specified in the Compression setting), and whether you are including a setup launcher (as specified in the Setup Launcher setting on the Setup.exe tab).

For example, if you select Compressed for the Compression setting, you select Yes for the Setup Launcher setting, and you are building a SingleImage release, your data files are compressed into .cab files, and the .cab files are streamed into your Setup.exe file. If you select Uncompressed for the Compression setting, you select No for the Setup Launcher setting, and you are building a CD-ROM release, your data files are left uncompressed in a subfolder of the folder that contains the .msi file.

Cab Optimization Type

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD, SingleImage, WebDeployment

If Compressed is selected for the Compression setting, specify the type of compression that InstallShield should use when building this release’s .cab files. Available options are:

•

LZX—InstallShield uses LZX compression to compress your product’s data files into .cab files. This option results in the smallest .cab files; however, it also takes the most time to extract the data from these .cab files at run time.

•

MSZIP—InstallShield uses MSZIP compression to compress your product’s data files into .cab files. This is the default option.

•

None—InstallShield does not use any compression when creating the .cab files.

Important • Using compression generally decreases the size of your compressed files, but the build process may take more time to complete. Depending on the number and size of the files being compressed, the LZX compression and the build may take hours to complete. Therefore, if you select the LZX option, it is recommended that your build machine have the latest hardware to minimize the time that it takes for the build to complete.

Generate Autorun.inf

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD, SingleImage, WebDeployment

Select Yes if you are distributing your installation on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM and want to support the AutoPlay feature. InstallShield creates a text file called Autorun.inf, which contains the instructions to autoplay your installation, in the root of your disk images folder.

You can edit this file to add additional AutoPlay options or to pass command-line parameters to MsiExec.exe, Setup.exe, or Update.exe.

Keep Unused Directories

Custom, CD-ROM, DVD, SingleImage, WebDeployment

Specify whether you want InstallShield to remove unused directories from the Directory table of the .msi file when you build this release. Available options are:

•

No—If a directory that is listed in the Directory column of the Directory table is not referenced in any known location in the .msi file, InstallShield removes it from the Directory table of the .msi file that it creates at build time. This occurs after any merge modules are merged, but only directories that are present in the .msi file are removed; therefore, if a merge module contains new unused directories in its Directory table, the new unused directories are added to the installation.

•

Yes—InstallShield does not remove any directories from the Directory table of the .msi file that it creates at build time.

The default value is No.

Note • Under some conditions, predefined directories cannot be resolved, causing an installation to fail. Removing unused directories from the Directory table enables you to avoid unnecessary failures. Therefore, it is recommended that you select No for this setting.

Build Tab

InstallShield 2019 Express Edition Help Library

April 2019