Man I got frustrated just reading that email, have to go home now and take a
nap! Having said that I actually missed the point of the email, what was the
actual question?
Some points I'd like to make,
1. I think you can deselect/remove some of the bde files from your setup
file (like the datapump stuff). I haven't used Installshield for years (see
next point) - You need to go into the bit that actually designates all the
files individually and remove them.
2. All my headaches about installation stopped the day I bought Wise
Installation. Piece of cake to use.
3. The first app I ever wrote was an app that I think someone on this list
took over so won't mention its name through shear embarresment factor but I
had no idea about the BDE and how to distribute it either (we are talking
back with Delphi 1 here!) I ended up formatting and mirroring a drive so
that it could be demo'd to a customer and it still didn't work so I can
understand the frustration.
Cheers,
Matt.
----- Original Message -----
From: Julien Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Multiple recipients of list delphi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 1:10 PM
Subject: [DUG]: Distributing Delphi Applications
> Help!
> A question I came across on another Delphi list that I have been
discussing
> with the author. I apologize for the intensity of the following
question.
> This guy is quite worked up by his problem. But does anyone have any
ideas
> on how to fix it?
>
>
>
>
> [>] It would appear that you have not yet tried to get one of your
programs
> to work on ANOTHER system which does NOT have Delphi on it - or anywhere
> near it.
>
> Having created your Application with Delphi4 (and I understand Delphi5)
you
> cannot simply copy the resultant .EXE file to another machine. It won't
> work!! Because (for starters) it will probably be looking for a DBE (Data
> Base Engine)- without which it CANNOT work. (I understand that with
Delphi5
> the situation is not the same.) If you are using your development yourself
> (on the development machine) you won't (shouldn't) have a problem.
Because
> the DBE (amongst other things) was installed when you installed Delphi4.
>
> But if you plan to sell your software or develop it on a contract basis
(as
> many developers do) your user (3rd party) machine will obviously NOT have
> Delphi4 installed on it. Nor (strictly speaking) does your Application
NEED
> everything that you have in your Delphi 4 installation.
>
> The problem arises in deciding WHAT has to go onto your 3rd party machine.
> WHAT changes to make to the registry and .DLL files, etc on that system.
A
> complex business too big to go into here.
>
> Supposedly to spare us mere systems analysists/programmers this problem
> Inprise benevolently include Installshield Express in the Delphi4 CD-ROM.
(I
> am led believe this also applies to Delphi5) IT is expected to put you in
a
> position to create a set of disketts - whilst IT includes all the right
> files and magic - so that you simply use "Add/Remove Programs" from
Windows
> "Setup" to "distribute" your marvelous software to that system.
>
> In fact you have to (are obliged to - in terms of your user-agreement with
> Inprise) "distribute" to a 3rd party machine in this manner. The problem
> being that MY Delphi4 package had an Installshield Express version on it
> which was looking for "datapump" files - which do not even come with
> Delphi4!! Leaving my version about as useful as a saddle fitted to a
cow!!
> (Data pump files apparently come with Delphi4 ENTERPRISE.)
>
> In the meantime Inprise and Installshield then (individually or
> collectively) set about remedying the problem with 2 "patches". But after
> having downloaded these I STILL cannot create a working .IWZ
(Installshield
> File) which will create the diskettes I need to SUCCESSFULLY distribute my
> application to a 3rd party machine.
>
> And - worse - evidently Inprise cannot EITHER. Not even from a complete
> simple working project which I sent them. They claim they CAN - but
> strangely (and probably significantly) CANNOT or WILL not PROVE it. By
> simply sending me an IWZ file that WORKS on MY system and produces the
> required result ON MY CLIENT'S system. Equally strangely Installsheild
> themselves remain silent about this to the point of ignoring all my e-mail
> on it - looking for help.
>
> Meanwhile you might like to take the following into account - as sent to
me
> by another systems analyst.
>
> "Installshield is a nightmare to setup, and maintain, because if you add a
> file to your setup etc, you always have to remember to add it to
> installshield.
>
> The other real time-wasting thing is that to truly test the final setup,
you
> really need a virgin machine with nothing on it except windows, so you can
> be sure you've included everything (thus simulating a client).
>
> You can't use your own machine with 100% confidence unless you really know
> what you are doing, since you already have everything necessary and it
won't
> reflect if you didn't include everything in Installshield. This has to be
> tested on Windows 95, Windows 98, and NT. This means re-configuring a
> machine each time with a blank operating system.
>
> We have a dedicated person and machine for this process - since you know
how
> long it takes just to install Windows every time - with Windows NT - this
is
> a 1.5 hour process. And if you run your test, which is unsuccessful
> because you left out a file or something, the whole process must be
started
> all over again.
>
> You also can't rely on UnInstallshield - it still leaves things lying
around
> in terms of DLLs, and registry entries if it doesn't successfully complete
> the installation - and I don't trust it anyway because some of the files
we
> distribute are common .DLL files shared with other companies products, so
> Installshield sometimes thinks it best to leave these .DLLs there when
> uninstalling for safety sake, which doesn't help your "virgin" machine
> scenario. Because you therefore can't use the same "virgin" machine twice
> for your test!!
>
> And our stuff is helluva complex, because we don't work with Paradox, but
> Interbase, Oracle and MS SQL server via SQL Links, which means a whole lot
> more stuff to contend with.
>
> So all in all, yes, Installshield and the whole setup process for any
> product is a VERY LARGE PAIN IN THE ASS!"
>
> If you are more fortunate - please let me know!! And HOW you did it!!
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
