Do I need a Setup?


The real answer is: it depends. You can literally copy your executable and the Visual FoxPro runtimes (and any dependencies ‚ see Chapter 3, ‚“Packaging the Installation ‚½ for specifics) to a folder and run the application. Does this make sense in most cases? No.

Some applications are installed on one computer, for one user . It might be a simple application with a few forms, a few reports , and a few tables in a database. The files can be copied to the machine where they will reside. Even if there are ActiveX controls, they likely can be registered manually. Registry keys can be created and the values updated via the RegEdit program. Shortcuts can simply be added to the desktop or start menu by dragging the executable to the appropriate location. This type of installation can be handled manually by the developer or by a sophisticated user with the help of some detailed instructions. It is our opinion that even the simplest installations can benefit from a setup program because without one, we are bound to forget something, and generating a setup for this type of application can take very little time at all.

We believe that having a setup process for the installation makes your application look more professional (see Figure 2 ). It gives it the same look as the off the shelf applications they purchase from the local computer store or off the Internet. It handles the dirty work you can easily forget if you install the applications manually. Steps like copying the files to the correct folder, registering ActiveX controls, creating registry entries, creating the needed shortcuts, setting up ODBC data sources, and registering the COM objects you developed or purchased from a third-party and install as part of your application.


Figure 2. Creating an installation setup places your application in the same professional league as the shrink-wrapped software your clients purchase on the Internet or at a local computer store.

Having a setup process increases the likelihood of a successful implementation because it does the same thing each time. It is a repeatable process. It allows you and your customers to enforce standards and best practices. After all, developing custom software is expensive in most cases, so why risk the actual implementation on a manual process that opens the opportunity for mistakes?

Vertical market applications are absolutely going to need a professional setup. Depending on the market it serves, the developer might not know the computing environment in advance. If you have certain requirements like a minimum of 128MB of RAM, or Windows 2000 or better, or a specific resolution, using a profession installer to create a setup allows you to verify the requirements are met without additional programming.

Updates might be a different story if the original installation was completed with a previous setup package. Just copy the new EXE to the server or the workstation and you are done. If there are no data changes the process really is that simple. Often it is simpler to take this approach because you can have the user download the executable from your Web site, or send it to them via e-mail. However, there is no harm in creating installation packages for your updates.

We discuss this issue in a more detail in Chapters 6 and 7 when we specifically address the deployment issues of workstations, traditional local area networks, and client/server applications.




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

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