Installing the Application


The first thing InstaFox Setup does when the executable runs is check for the existence of the VFP runtime files. When you are testing your install on your development machine and the VFP runtime files are missing from the distribution folder the error message in Figure 14 displays, warning you to make sure you include the runtime files in the distribution. According to the InstaFox developers the VFP runtime files should always be included in the distribution whether they are installed or not because you cannot be 100% certain the target machine will already have them installed. Including the files also ensures InstaFox uses the runtime files you supply.


Figure 14. InstaFox Installer missing runtime file component error message.

If you don ‚ t include the runtime files in the distribution, one of two things will happen:

  1. If the target machine does not have the VFP runtime files installed in the Windows path , InstaFox won ‚ t run because VFP won ‚ t run.

  2. If the VFP runtime files are on the target machine, InstaFox will run, display the error message in Figure 14 , and then continue because the runtime files are obviously on the machine or InstaFox would not be running.

However clicking OK brings you to the Welcome screen in Figure 15 .


Figure 15. The Welcome page identifies the application to be installed.

Welcome screen

The first screen the user encounters at installation is the Welcome page, which identifies the application the user is about to install. It provides the standard recommendation that the user close all other applications before proceeding. What follows the Welcome screen depends on the entries made in the InstaFox Wizard. Some of the pages the user sees next always display. Others are optional and display only if you filled out certain fields in the Wizard.

License Agreement

The License Agreement page shown in Figure 16 displays only if you specified a license file in the InstaFox Wizard during Step 2. If a license agreement is included, the user cannot install the application without accepting the agreement because the setup application won ‚ t go to the next screen until the user clicks the ‚“I Agree ‚½ button


Figure 16. If a license agreement is included, the user cannot install the application without accepting it.

Destination Directory

The Destination Directory page shown in Figure 17 always displays. It is where the user specifies the directory where they want to install the application. The default directory name shown on this page is the directory you specified in Step 1 of the InstaFox Wizard. If a path doesn ‚ t exist, the Installer puts up a dialog that asks if you want to create it. At this point you can go back and change the path name or create the new path.


Figure 17. The user can select the destination directory for the application.

If you don ‚ t want the user to have a choice about where they want to install the application, a simple modification to the InstaFox Wizard source code must be performed. In the FPATH.SCX, change the comment to say the installation must be installed into the specified application, disable the path textbox, and take off the ‚“Browse ‚½ button. More information on customizing the wizard can be found in section ‚“Customizing InstaFox. ‚½

Application Shortcuts

The Application Shortcut screen shown in Figure 18 always displays. It allows the user to specify whether to create any Desktop, Start Menu, or Quick Launch shortcuts for the main application during the installation process.


Figure 18. InstaFox Installer application shortcuts selection form.

Additional Tasks

The only additional task permitted by the InstaFox Installer is the running of the post- installation program specified in Step 2 of the InstaFox Wizard.

Selected Installation Options

The final step in the InstaFox Installer prior to actually installing the application is the Selected Installation Options page shown in Figure 19 . This page gives the user a chance to verify their choices before actually installing the application. This page always displays during installation, but can be suppressed with some changes to the source code of the InstaFox Installer application.


Figure 19. InstaFox Installer Selected Installation Options form.

This page is the user ‚ s last chance to cancel the installation. Clicking the ‚“Install ‚½ button on this page starts the actual installation process.

During the installation process, InstaFox Installer displays a progress indicator along with the description of the step being performed.

Cancelled Installation

If for some reason the user chooses to cancel the installation, an ‚“Are you sure you want to cancel ‚½ dialog box appears. If the user chooses yes, please cancel, the Cancelled Installation form illustrated in Figure 20 displays.


Figure 20. InstaFox Installer Cancelled Installation form.

Post Installation Information

After clicking Install a final screen appears to notify you that the application was successfully installed. There are many ways to use this InstaFox Installer page. For example, it ‚ s a good place to tell the user anything else you want them to know before using your application, to thank them for choosing your product, to mention other products you think they might be interested in, and to encourage them to visit your website for more information. Any changes made to this page must be made to FCOMP.SCX of the InstaFox Installer.




Deploying Visual FoxPro Solutions
Deploying Visual FoxPro Solutions
ISBN: 1930919328
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 232

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net