Testing and Compiling the Installation Script

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Now that we have verified and modified our installation settings, we are ready to test and finally compile—or recompile, as the case may be—the installation script. To accomplish this, follow these steps:

1. In the Installation Expert window, shown in Figure 13-7, click the Test button. (You can also choose Test from the Installation menu in the Script Editor window.)
2. If you haven't already saved the script, a Save As dialog box will appear, prompting you to provide a name for the script (IPF) file that will be created during the test run of the installation.
3. The SMS Installer-generated script should now run successfully, displaying any dialog boxes you defined. The Test program will notify you of any syntactical problems within the script. If an error is encountered, the Script Editor window can be opened, with the offending line highlighted and waiting to be edited. Correct any problems and continue to retest the script until it runs without error.
4. After you have successfully tested the script file, you can run the installation script in much the same manner as you did when you tested it. The significant difference in running the script is that it will actually perform the installation. Recall that to avoid potential conflicts, you may want to remove the version of the application that was installed during the repackaging process.
5. To run the script file from the Installation Expert window, click Run. You can also choose Run from the Installation menu in the Script Editor window.
6. The script will run completely and, as with the Test program, will prompt you with any syntactical errors that are found, giving you the option to correct them. Correct any errors, and repeat the run process until no errors are found.
7. After the installation script has run successfully, click the Compile button to create the SMS Installer-generated executable file. You can also choose Compile from the Installation menu in the Script Editor window. Once again, any errors will be noted and should be corrected.

TIP

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Remember to recompile the script after each change you make, either through the Installation Expert or through Script Editor. You might also want to make a copy of the old script before modifying and recompiling it.

After the final testing has been completed, the SMS Installer-generated executable is ready to distribute to your target systems. Using SMS or any other method of distribution, our scripted package is ready to be rolled out to the client computers.