Q194434: HOWTO: Using the Setup Wizard in Visual FoxPro 6.0
Article: Q194434
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:2.5,6.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbAppSetup kbvfp600 kbMDAC250
Last Modified: 22-FEB-2000
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 6.0
- Microsoft Data Access Components version 2.5
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SUMMARY
=======
This article describes the use of the Visual FoxPro 6.0 Setup Wizard. The Setup
Wizard creates distributions from the files in your distribution tree, along
with necessary system files.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Starting the Setup Wizard
-------------------------
To start the Setup Wizard from the Tools menu, choose Wizards and then click
Setup. If this is the first time the Setup Wizard has run since your Visual
FoxPro 6.0 installation, it prompts you for a Distribution directory location.
Please select the "Create directory" button when this prompt displays.
Step 1 - Locate Files
---------------------
This step requires that you select a directory for your distribution tree.
Consider this as the source of the files you wish to distribute. The
distribution directory tree should already exist before you run the Setup
Wizard. All files and subdirectories of this directory are created when the
application installs on the user's computer. Be sure to include all files the
user requires, but do not include any files the user does not require, or files
that you do not wish the user to install.
Please refer to the section "Preparing to Make Distribution Disks" in Chapter 25:
"Building an Application for Distribution" in the Visual FoxPro Programmers
Guide for details.
The Setup Wizard records the options you set for each distribution tree and uses
them as default values the next time you create a setup routine from the same
distribution tree. This information is stored in the Wzsetup.ini file in the
distribution directory. There is also a Wzsetup.ini file in the Visual FoxPro
home directory, which enables the Setup Wizard to default to the distribution
directory from the previous run.
NOTE: Do not attempt to use the DISTRIB directory that the Wizard creates in the
step "Starting the Setup Wizard" as the directory for your distribution tree. In
addition, it is a good idea to place your source tree outside the Visual FoxPro
directory.
Step 2 - Specify Components
---------------------------
Select the system features your application uses. The Setup Wizard creates a
setup routine that includes all necessary system files for the system features
you specify.
The following table lists the sizes of files that you can include with your setup
routine.
Select this option if
Option Size your application...
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Visual FoxPro 6.0 Run-time 4 MB Requires the Visual FoxPro
Run-time file, Vfp6r.dll to
execute. This .dll file
is automatically included with
your application's files, and
installs correctly on the
user's computer.
Microsoft 8.0 Graph Run-time 2.2 MB Includes forms that use Graph
8.0 controls.
ODBC Drivers 4.3 MB Communicates with tables other
than Visual FoxPro .dbf files.
Displays the ODBC Drivers
dialog box so you can select
the necessary drivers
your application requires.
COM Components (varies) Includes a Component Object
Model (COM) component
consisting of an .exe or .dll
file. Displays the
"Adding COM Components"
dialog box. Please see the Add
COM Components section for
details. This was the "Add
OLE Servers" dialog box in
Visual FoxPro 5.0.
ActiveX Controls (varies) Requires support for multiple
in-process servers, or
enhanced internet and Web page
functionality through
installation of ActiveX
controls. Displays the "Add
ActiveX Controls" dialog box.
See the ActiveX Controls
section for details. This is
new to Visual FoxPro 6.0.
HTML help engine 700 KB Requires the Microsoft HTML
Help engine for the custom
Help file in your application.
For details, see Creating
Graphical Help and the
online Help for the HTML Help
Workshop. This is new to
Visual FoxPro 6.0.
The sizes listed in the preceding table represent the approximate bytes used
after the files install on the user's hard disk.
Add COM Components Dialog Box
-----------------------------
1. To add a COM Component, choose the Add button.
2. In the Open dialog box, select the .exe or .dll file for the server, and then
click the OK button. The component's accompanying .tlb and .vbr (.exe only)
files must be available in the same location as the file you select. The
component file and accompanying files can exist either inside or outside the
distribution source directory.
3. If your COM component is an .exe file, you must register it as local or
remote. Please see the "Adding COM Components" section of the Help topic
"Setup Wizard: Step 2 - Specify Components" for details.
Add ActiveX Controls Dialog Box
-------------------------------
This provides a list of the ActiveX controls registered on your computer. You
need to select any ActiveX controls that you want to include with your
application.
In previous versions of Visual FoxPro, to distribute an ActiveX control you had
to copy the .ocx file to your distribution directory, and select the ActiveX
check box next to the .ocx file name in the Grid of Step 6. This is no longer
required, although you can still use this method if you wish. Here are the
differences in the two approaches.
- You must register controls included through the Add ActiveX Controls dialog
box in order for them to appear in the list, but you do not need to copy them
to the distribution directory. If you install new ActiveX controls, you must
click the Refresh button in the Add ActiveX Controls dialog box to include
the new controls in the list.
- You do not need to register controls included through the grid in Step 6, but
you must place them in the distribution directory.
We recommend the first approach because it does not require that you copy your
.ocx files into each distribution directory. This can be difficult if you have
multiple applications and want to upgrade a control to a newer version. Do not
include the same ActiveX controls using both approaches. Use the approach you
prefer, but only that one approach.
Step 3 - Create Disk Image Directory
------------------------------------
The Setup Wizard creates a disk image directory tree containing images for each
type you specify. If you select the Websetup option, the Setup Wizard creates a
single directory to hold all the files in compressed form. If you select the
Netsetup option, the Setup Wizard creates a single directory to hold all the
files in uncompressed form.
Image Usage
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1.44 MB 3.5-inch When distributing to users that install from
diskette.
Websetup (compressed) When distributing to users that install through
low speed connections like from intranet or
Internet. If you want to create a Web executable
(see Step 7 for details), you must select this
type.
Netsetup (uncompressed) When distributing to users that install through
a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network
(WAN) network connection.
You can create the disk image directory before you run the Setup Wizard. If you
want the Setup Wizard to create the directory for you, type a directory name in
the text box.
Step 4 - Setup Options
----------------------
The Setup Wizard creates installation dialog boxes with the title you specify in
the Dialog Caption box. It also places the copyright statement in the About
Setup dialog box that the user can access from the About command on the Setup
application's control menu. Entries are required in the Dialog Caption and Setup
Copyright boxes. The Post-Setup Executable entry is optional. If the Post-Setup
executable is a Visual FoxPro executable, it functions correctly but may cause
the setup program to hang when installed under Windows NT.
NOTE: To advance to Step 5, you must enter text in both the "Setup dialog box
caption" and "Copyright information" text boxes. If you do not want to copyright
your application, enter None for Copyright information.
Step 5 - Specify Default Destination
------------------------------------
The setup routine places your application in the directory you specify in the
Default directory text box. The directory and file structure tree created in the
default directory by the setup program mimic the directory tree in the
distribution directory from Step 1. You should enter the default Start menu
program group in the Program group text box. The option buttons determine
whether the user can change both the destination directory and the program
group, or only the destination directory at install.
Step 6 - Change File Settings
-----------------------------
NOTE: To create a Start menu program group and icon for your application, you
must select the PM Item option, providing the information described in the
following table.
The Setup Wizard lists your files in a grid. You can change the settings for the
listed files by clicking the item you want to change. Only the files contained
in your distribution directory structure are listed here. System files added
through Step 2 do not display in the list. The following table describes the
settings displayed in each column:
Column Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
File The file name as created on the user's computer. You cannot
edit the file name here but it depends on the file name as
it appears in the distribution directory.
Target Dir Selects the file directory. You can install the file on the
user's computer into the Application directory (AppDir in
the drop-down), Windows directory (WinDir), or Windows
System directory (WinSysDir).
PM Item If you select this option, the wizard displays the Program
Group Menu Item dialog box so you can specify program item
Properties such as, Description, Command Line, and Icon.
The Description is the text that appears with the program
icon in the Start Menu.
The Command Line is the path to the file you want to
display in the Start Menu. You should use an embedded %s
sequence to replace the application directory. The "s" must
be lowercase. Using the %s sequence ensures that the
program item points to the files correctly even if your
users specify a name for the application directory other
than the default name. The following example specifies a
command line for an executable called MyExe.exe, located in
the distribution directory:
%s\MyExe.exe
If you are creating a Menu Item for your executable, and
you add an icon to your executable, you do not need to add
an icon in this step. You can add the icon to your
executable by right-clicking in the Project Manager window
and selecting Project Info. Click the Attach Icon in the
Project page of the Project Information dialog box. Make
sure you add an icon with 16 x 16 and 32 x 32 images so the
image displays correctly in all Explorer views.
If you specify an icon that is outside your source tree,
the setup routine installs the icon in your application
directory.
ActiveX If you select the check box here, the setup generated
registers the ActiveX control when you install the control
on a user's computer. As mentioned earlier, for the control
to appear in the list here, you must add it to your
distribution directory. The preferred approach is to add
the controls as in Step 2, which requires no action here in
Step 6.
Step 7 - Finish
---------------
There are two check boxes at this point.
The "Generate a Web executable file" check box enables only if you select the
Websetup check box in Step 3.
If you select "Generate a Web executable file", the Setup Wizard creates a single
executable file from your distribution files, called Webapp.exe. This file is
located in the directory specified in Step 3. Use this option with the Websetup
option of Step 3 to maximize compression for fast Web download of your
application. This option can be time-consuming if you have specified many setup
options. The actual creation of the Web executable is done through a command
prompt application, and displays a MS- DOS or Command Prompt box that shows the
status.
The "Create a dependency (.DEP) file" specifies that the Setup Wizard create
dependency files (an .ini-style file with a .dep extension). This file contains
not only dependency files needed by a component, but also any necessary
registration and localization information. This file is also located in the
directory specified in Step 3.
When you choose Finish, the Setup Wizard records the configuration for use the
next time you create distribution disks from the same distribution tree. It then
starts creating the application disk or Net/Websetup images.
A progress dialog box displays as the wizard moves through its required
functions.
After the Setup Wizard has completes, the Setup Wizard Disk Statistics dialog box
displays. Here you find a list of files and their sizes, disk location if
applicable, and so forth. Select Done to close the dialog box and complete the
wizard.
Now that you have created the images you specified, you may use them for
installation. If you chose the 1.44 MB 3.5 option to make disk images, copy the
images to diskettes. Note that you must copy the contents of the Disk<n>
directory to each disk, not the directory itself. This means that the files
themselves from each Disk<n> are in the root directory of the diskette,
rather than having the Disk<n> directory in the root directory of each
diskette. Then copy and combine the disks with the rest of your distribution
package.
The Websetup and Netsetup directories contain Setup.exe, some other files
required by setup, and a file named Setup1.cab. Setup1.cab contains your
application files. The only difference between the two is that the files in
Setup1.cab are in a compressed form for the Websetup.
To distribute a Netsetup or Websetup, place the contents of the Netsetup or
Websetup directories in a network share and allow users to connect and run
Setup.exe from there.
To distribute a Web executable, allow users to download the Webapp.exe and run it
to install. You can rename this file to a more descriptive name if you wish, but
be sure to retain the .exe extension.
REFERENCES
==========
Visual FoxPro 6.0 Programmers Guide
Visual FoxPro Programmers Guide in the Microsoft Developer Network CD; Chapter
13: "Compiling an Application"; Chapter 25: "Building an Application for
Distribution"; Chapter 26: "Creating Distribution Disks".
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1998. All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Jim
Saunders, Microsoft Corporation
Additional query words:
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Keywords : kbAppSetup kbvfp600 kbMDAC250
Technology : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbMDACSearch kbMDAC250 kbVFP600
Version : WINDOWS:2.5,6.0
Issue type : kbhowto
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