The Official Installshield for Windows Installer Developer's Guide (Professional Mindware) [Paperback]

If you want to get your software officially blessed as Windows-compatible, you have to endow it with an automated installation routine. If your software is for Windows 2000, you have to use the Windows Installer Service. The Official InstallShield for Windows Installer Developer's Guide is the best available treatment of the subject, and it's empirically quite good.

Author Bob Baker first walks readers through the installation-routine creation process the hard way--that is, with the Orca tool that comes with the Windows Installer Software Development Kit (SDK). He then delves much more deeply into the widely used InstallShield Windows Installer (ISWI) product from InstallShield Software, where Baker works as an instructor. A demonstration copy of ISWI 1.52 (as well as the Microsoft Installer SDK) appears on the companion CD-ROM.

The Official InstallShield touches on several instructional techniques as it reveals aspects of the Windows Installer Service and of ISWI. Some of Baker's work is simple documentation of the ISWI user interface; other chapters are language documentation for InstallScript and its Component Object Model (COM) links.

The eclectic style of the book fits the subject, which is multifaceted and capable of dealing (almost by definition) with diverse configurations. Baker's careful, one-at-a-time exploration of features will help developers untangle problems they encounter. It's far better than the Windows Installer SDK documentation, no question about it. --David Wall

Topics covered: The Windows Installer Service and the process of creating installation wizards for programs that run under Microsoft Windows 2000, primarily with InstallShield Software's InstallShield for Windows Installer (ISWI). After covering Windows 2000's architecture for deploying software, this book documents the ISWI user interface and the essentials of its use. Custom actions, user interfaces, scripting, shared components, software patching, localisation are covered in turn.

The Official InstallShield for Windows® Installer Developer′s Guide explores the Windows Installer Service (WIS) and the industry–leading InstallShield tool for putting this new Windows 2000 feature to work. Written by Bob Baker, an InstallShield insider, this title is a comprehensive, one–volume guide to WIS and the Microsoft policies governing its use. In addition, the book shows you how to build client installations using a simple editing tool or the full–blown InstallShield for Windows Installer commercial package. An accompanying CD includes a fully functional evaluation copy of InstallShield for Windows Installer version 1.52.

The Official InstallShield^® for Windows^® Installer Developer's Guide The Inside Know–How You Need for State–of–the–Art Installation Packages Introducing the one–and–only official guide to InstallShield for Windows Installer — an indispensable reference if you want to create logo–compliant Windows 2000 installation packages using InstallShield solutions. Offering coverage of the custom action APIs and the policies that make up Windows Installer Service (WIS), InstallShield insider Bob Baker shows you in detail how to build state–of–the–art installation packages, from fine–tuning installation properties and custom tailoring a user interface to creating custom actions and harnessing the power of InstallScript. Proven InstallShield Solutions to Windows Installer Service Challenges

• Get the lowdown on the Windows 2000 deployment architecture
• Understand how the Windows Installer Service works, from the basics to advanced concepts
• Get up to speed on the InstallShield integrated development environment
• Use InstallShield tools to control your installation, define properties, and create the user interface
• Take advantage of InstallScript to create custom actions that extend the Windows Installer functionality
• Understand the proper approach to creating and sharing components
• Handle localization, updates/upgrades, transforms, and other real–world challenges

CD–ROM Contents

• InstallShield Professional
• InstallShield for Windows Installer
• InstallShield Express
• Plus other InstallShield software

InstallShield_® Software Corporation System Requirements Pentium 300 or higher PC with Win 9x or Win NT SP3 or higher. 64MB RAM and 300MB hard drive space available depending on software installation. www.mandtbooks.com

Bob Baker, a Technical Trainer for InstallShield Software Corporation, was formerly the Director of Product Support Services and the Program Manager for InstallShield 3.