Hi Brian, Thanks alot for the suggestion, however, I think you misunderstood my question. Or I probably mislead you haha.
Here is the dilemma. Our company has a server application and my teams' product will be residing in the same machine. My application talks to the server to send a playlist that is generated by our application. We (the app) however get the thumbnails (images that is rendered by another product) from the server. So basically, you can think of our application as a playlist generating app but in order to generate the playlist we need the thumbnails for each item and we fetch the thumbnails from our server. Our application is a web application so we can deploy it anywhere the user wants it to. Now, when we created this application, we did not know our application was going to be deployed on the same machine as the server. Because of this we were fetching the thumbnails from the server thru a HTTP request and the server sent the requested thumbnails to our application. Since, our app is going to be residing in the same machine now, however, instead of requesting the thumbnails through an HTTP request I was wondering if I could actually read into a directory where the thumbnails lie in the server. So, what I want to achieve was ask the user if they want to fetch from server or from the local disk. The reason for even asking (even the 'server' actually directs the local machine since our app is residing in the server machine) is because the thumbnails are not always in the same directory and we have to know where the thumbnails are stored at. I hope that clears up what I need to do.. haha Thanks a bunch!! god bless. -Dk Brian Bakkebo wrote: > > Hi dkijc, > I think you can do this, but a little unclear about the storing of icons > somewhere else? Are you actually installing a program also or just icons? > > For storing the icons part you have a question in the installer I assume > and > it asks to download latest icons or choose a directory? If user answers > yes, then go to web and download icons to a folder. The question is > wouldnt > you want to do this after they define the INSTALLDIR in the install? Then > you can use this dialog set and modify it:(WixUI_InstallDir does not allow > the user to choose what features to install, but it adds a dialog to let > the > user choose a directory where the product will be installed.) > > Therefore you can download the icons right to the install directory and > reference them there. If this all sounds ok, then if you already have the > INSTALLDIR Variable assuming it is set up as the last node directory and > will look something like this in your .wxs <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" > Name="YourProgramName">. Then you can reference it as a shortcut for > example as such: > <Shortcut Id="ApplicationStartMenuShortcut" Name="YourProgramNam" > Description="YourProgramNam" Target="[INSTALLDIR]YourProgramName.exe" > WorkingDirectory="INSTALLDIR">. Or using it for other things, etc. > > Since I am not quite sure about what you want to accomplish it is hard to > say, but I think this is sort of what you want. > > > > > Med vennlig hilsen /Regards > Brian > > > > > 2009/4/23 dkijc <wwjdat2...@yahoo.com> > >> >> Hi Pally, >> >> Thank you so much for your response! That gives me hope haha. >> I was actually reading the blog by Neil and had a question. >> I understand I can get the directory to be set but that's an installation >> directory. >> Can I create a custom directory OR can I actually use the INSTALLDIR (or >> whatever it is called) >> and when the installation is run can I trick the installer so instead of >> using the directory for installation folder actually snatch that >> directory >> to be stored in a variable within our code so our application knows where >> to >> look for the thumbnails? >> >> We can fetched the thumbnails over the web just fine but now our >> application >> is deployed in the same machine where we fetch the thumbnails so instead >> of >> going through a loop with http request we can easily look for thumbnails >> in >> the local machine. The reason for asking the path for the folder is >> because >> thumbnails are not always stored in the same folder, as that is a >> preference >> that a user can set. >> >> The problem I was having was when I created a custom dialog (using >> orca)that >> asks whether the use wants our application to fetch the thumbnail over >> the >> web or just from their local machine. Opening a browse dialog works fine >> but >> every time I chose a folder and press 'ok' I'd get '2707' (target not >> specified). And wasn't sure exactly what was causing the problem. I'm >> assuming it probably has to do with custom action and was wondering if >> WiX >> had a better way of going about it. >> >> So my question still remains, is it possible to create a custom ID or >> variable to store the directory (which is not meant for installation but >> only purpose is to pass down the directory path into our code). >> >> I really hope that made sense... haha >> >> thanks, again! >> >> >> 1. The web stuff I'm not sure about. It's likely possible using custom >> actions as with most things. Someone else may have tried something >> similar but I don't think pulling arbitrary files off a web server is >> supported by default in the Windows Installer. >> >> 2. Very possible using standard Windows Installer UI controls. Have a >> look at the InstallDirDlg.wxs in the WiX 3.0 sources which does pretty >> much what you're trying to here except you'd need to hook it into the >> radio buttons first. You can even use the BrowseDlg in WiXUI without >> modification for your browse button. Neil Sleightholm's blog on >> customizing the WiXUI at >> http://neilsleightholm.blogspot.com/2008/08/customised-uis-for-wix.html >> should help point you in the right direction. >> >> Personally I'd tackle it as 2 separate issues and get the second part >> working as you'd like it to first, as the web stuff looks like it could >> take a lot of time to get working right but that's me and I could be >> wrong. >> >> Good luck >> >> Palbinder Sandher >> Software Deployment & IT Administrator >> T: +44 (0) 141 945 8500 >> F: +44 (0) 141 945 8501 >> >> http://www.iesve.com >> **Design, Simulate + Innovate with the <Virtual Environment>** >> Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited. Registered in Scotland No. >> SC151456 >> Registered Office - Helix Building, West Of Scotland Science Park, >> Glasgow G20 0SP >> Email Disclaimer >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: >> http://n2.nabble.com/Reference-custom-directory-tp2670501p2685638.html >> Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Crystal Reports - New Free Runtime and 30 Day Trial >> Check out the new simplified licensign option that enables unlimited >> royalty-free distribution of the report engine for externally facing >> server and web deployment. >> http://p.sf.net/sfu/businessobjects >> _______________________________________________ >> WiX-users mailing list >> WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Crystal Reports - New Free Runtime and 30 Day Trial > Check out the new simplified licensign option that enables unlimited > royalty-free distribution of the report engine for externally facing > server and web deployment. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/businessobjects > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Reference-custom-directory-tp2670501p2736735.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Register Now & Save for Velocity, the Web Performance & Operations Conference from O'Reilly Media. 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