Here's a problem. I have a customer using a large complex A5 application of mine that I have now produced an substantial update for. I want to deploy this update by way of a self installing executable that I can send to this customer who can run it to update the application but at the same time not destroy existing files and data.
Unfortunately this is not something the A5 Installmaker can do for me. So I set out to do this myself, and while I was doing it, to include a range of nice features too, for example:
o quick and easy to create the updater,
o produces a self installing executable less than 10 MB in size (my full install is 120 MB in zip format).
I have included my solution here as a fully documented zip file that contains:
o a UDF Xbasic script to run from the autoexec script of my application, and
o an A5 application update template for use with Inno Setup from which to generate the application updater.
For those not familiar with Inno Setup, it is a free-for-commercial-use setup compiler that generates the setup installer for any application from information you specify in an .iss file. This file is just plain text so you can edit it in Inno Setup or alternatively in your favorite text editor. The Inno Setup web site is at www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php.
Documentation for use of my template is included in the supplied .iss file so that it can be modified to meet your own requirements.
So now I can produce my application update in the blink of an eye, well almost. Furthermore the update installer produced is less than 5 MB in size so I can now send it to my customer (500 miles away) via the Internet rather than on a mailed CD which I have been doing previously.
PS: My thanks to Cal Locklin for some of the ideas and code incorporated here.
Unfortunately this is not something the A5 Installmaker can do for me. So I set out to do this myself, and while I was doing it, to include a range of nice features too, for example:
o quick and easy to create the updater,
o produces a self installing executable less than 10 MB in size (my full install is 120 MB in zip format).
I have included my solution here as a fully documented zip file that contains:
o a UDF Xbasic script to run from the autoexec script of my application, and
o an A5 application update template for use with Inno Setup from which to generate the application updater.
For those not familiar with Inno Setup, it is a free-for-commercial-use setup compiler that generates the setup installer for any application from information you specify in an .iss file. This file is just plain text so you can edit it in Inno Setup or alternatively in your favorite text editor. The Inno Setup web site is at www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php.
Documentation for use of my template is included in the supplied .iss file so that it can be modified to meet your own requirements.
So now I can produce my application update in the blink of an eye, well almost. Furthermore the update installer produced is less than 5 MB in size so I can now send it to my customer (500 miles away) via the Internet rather than on a mailed CD which I have been doing previously.
PS: My thanks to Cal Locklin for some of the ideas and code incorporated here.
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