Application Packaging Training - April 2012 Batch

New batch of Application Packaging Classroom Training at Hyderabad from 1st week of April 2012


Course Duration: 1 Month


Anyone interested? please contact me on Virtual.App.Packager@gmail.com
visit www.AppRepack.in for more information on training topics.


Note: Send me an email, if you are looking for online training details. Thanks

Application Packaging Online Training - Weekend Batch

New batch of Application Packaging Online Training Weekend Batch starting from 25th March 2012.


Course Duration: 5 to 6 weeks
Anyone interested?, please contact me on Virtual.App.Packager@gmail.com


visit www.AppRepack.in for more information on training topics.

What are Merge Modules

Merge modules are a mechanism in Windows Installer that allows software companies to
prepackage and share standard component definitions. For example, take the infamous Crystal
Reports runtimes. The files, DLLs, and registry entries that make up these runtimes can be
defined as Windows Installer components and placed in a merge module.
When any developer in the world wants to distribute these runtimes, they use the vendor merge
module to ensure that a complete set of runtimes files is included with the vendor assigned
versions, component codes, registry keys, and other Windows Installer elements that the owning
software vendor assigned. Obviously one of the biggest publisher’s of merge modules is
Microsoft. When not merged into a package, merge modules are contained in .MSM files
(another variant on the .MSI format).

What is Self Healing

Self-healing is the ability of Windows Installer to detect and repair any critical resources that are
required for the user to successfully launch and use the application. Every resource of a package
is not checked during self-healing. Because self-healing occurs as the application is launched,
exhaustive checking of every resource would lead to excessive wait times.


Earlier we discussed how Windows Installer performs basic actions (install, uninstall, and so on)
on lists of Components. We also discussed how these lists of Components were specified by a
list of Features. Self-healing follows this approach as well.


Self-healing, install-on-demand, and user profile fix-up are all variations on the same
functionality provided by Windows Installer. Windows Installer is asked to find the appropriate
software application when an entry point is activated by a user (usually double-clicking a
shortcut or document type). If Windows Installer finds the software is not yet installed, it will
immediately install it. If the software is installed, it will be verified by self-healing. In both cases,
this happens at the Feature level.

MSI Properties

There are several notable properties that will be used many, many times. Most of them control
how a package is installed:
• TRANSFORMS—Specifies a list of transforms to apply to an MSI during package
installation.
• ADDLOCAL—Lists features to install on the local computer.
• ALLUSERS—Controls whether installations are performed for all users of the computer
or just the user running the installation.
• ROOTDRIVE—Controls which drive Windows Installer installs packages on—by
default packages are installed on the local drive that has the most free space.
• INSTALLDIR—Controls the exact directory to which a package must be installed.
• REBOOT—Controls whether the package requests a reboot after installation.

Entry Points and Advertisements

Ever wonder how Windows Installer knows to get involved with repairing or installing an
application? Entry points allow Windows Installer to proxy the startup of an application and
perform application management tasks before the user is allowed to access the application. In
other words, when you double-click the icon for a Windows Installer packaged software
application, it does not actually attempt to start the application directly. The icon is a special icon
that asks Windows Installer to find the software application and start it. This is when Windows
Installer can use the MSI repository information, the installed application resources (files,
registry keys, and so on), and the original package file to perform the magic of self-healing and
install on demand.




An entry point turns into an advertised interface when any Feature that its Component belongs to
is advertised or installed on a target computer system. When a Windows Installer package is
advertised, advertised interfaces make it appear as though the application is installed and ready
to use. When a Windows Installer package is installed, advertised interfaces trigger Windows
Installer for self-healing and user profile fix-up checking. An entry point/advertised interface can
be:


• A shortcut (special Windows Installer shortcut)
• A document extension (association)
• A MIME type (Internet document types)
• A Class ID (CLSID)—Programmatic identities used for sharing software within and
between various applications

I can change My Document folder,My Favorites,Start Menu?

Use Registry entry

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

Then change path you want to change and Log off or Restart machine to view changes