This is the README file for Install 2.0 by Champion Software. ============================================================================================= DESCRIPTION Install is a windows application that will copy a file or number of files from a source location to a destination. It will also create Program Manager groups and icons if instructed to do so. Install is a fairly small application and doesn't take too much floppy disk space for itself. This version has a built in limitation, please see the note at the end of this file. If you register you will be sent an unrestricted version by mail. Originally I used the features of the Borland library BWCC.DLL and the appearance of this product was greatly improved. Unfortunately this meant that BWCC.DLL would have to be distributed with this application. This had several disadvantages including a more complex installation procedure (copying BWCC.DLL first, version checking etc.), larger distribution ZIP files, longer download times, and less usable floppy disk space. One feature which may be very useful, particularly where the end user does not read English, is the ability to redefine all messages displayed. Details of how to do this follow later in this document. ============================================================================================= FOR THE DEVELOPER Copy the files that you are distributing on to a floppy disk or disks. You may compress your files using the Microsoft utility Compress if you want to. You may also use the -r switch of Compress to automatically rename your files. Install will decompress and rename files as required. You can mix compressed and non compressed files on the same disk if you want to. Copy on to the first disk the file INSTALL.EXE, this must not be compressed or renamed. You must also create an information file called INSTALL.INF which must be on the first disk and cannot be compressed or renamed. Details of INSTALL.INF are discussed later in this file. If your files are on multiple disks then each disk other than the first must contain an uncompressed text file called DISKID. DISKID will contain a simple text string of up to 30 characters which describes the disk. The first character of this description must be an upper or lower case D so descriptions such as Disk 1, Disk 2, etc. are ideal. ============================================================================================= CREATING INSTALL.INF The file INSTALL.INF is a simple ASCII text file that must be created manually with a text editor. You may insert any lines that you like into this file, including blanks, but if the first character of a line is 1 2 3 4 5 B D F G I T or # then the line is an instruction to Install and must be entered exactly as specified below. The non-registered version of the software will only install one file but the registered software will install any number of files. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 If a line begins with one of these characters then there must also be a parameter preceded by a comma in the line. All the text after the comma will be treated as a message and will be displayed in the appropriate position in the top section of the Install dialog box. If no text follows the comma then the relevant line will be blanked. These lines can be set and altered as many times as you like throughout the information file. If no comma exists then the message lines will remain unchanged (they are blank initially). Maximum message size = 50 characters. For example the line 2,Copyright Ace Software Ltd would cause the message Copyright Ace Software Ltd to be displayed on the second line in the top section of the Install dialog box. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # If a line begins with a # then this defines a directory alias. The user of the install software will be able to change this directory if they want to. Several # lines can be inserted in the INSTALL.INF file. Every time a # line is encountered a dialog box will appear showing the proposed directory and allowing the user to change it. If a trailing backslash is not entered then one will be added automatically. Maximum destination path + filename length = 79 characters. For example the line #,C:\DATABASE\ would define the symbol # to represent the directory C:\DATABASE this can then be used in future INSTALL.INF lines for example the line (see below for full details of the F instruction) File,#PROGRAM.EXE would copy the file PROGRAM.EXE into the C:\DATABASE directory. Note: don't put a backslash after the # in these F lines as one is added automatically. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D If a line begins with an upper or lower case D then the entire contents of the line will be used as a disk identifier and a dialog box will request a disk change. This text is case sensitive and must match the contents of the relevant DISKID file. Identifiers such as Disk1, Disk 2, etc. are ideal. If the source location is on a drive other than A or B then these lines are ignored. Maximum disk id size = 30 characters. For example the line Disk 2 would cause Install to prompt for the disk containing the text Disk 2 in it's DISKID file. Installation could not progress until a disk with the string Disk 2 in it's DISKID file was inserted into the source drive. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F If a line begins with an upper or lower case F then there must follow one or two further parameters preceded by commas. The first parameter is the full path and filename of the destination file. The file named must exist in the source path in order to be installed. If the second parameter exists and is not blank then a Program Manager icon will be created for the file using this second parameter as a description. If the second parameter does not exist or is blank then the file will be copied but no icon will be created. It is important to define a group prior to inserting any F lines. See the G section on how to do this. If you explicitly enter a directory rather than using the # feature then the user will not be able to change this destination. Any directories that do not exist will be created automatically. If the file is called README.* then after installation NotePad will be launched with the file README.* loaded. It is your responsibility to ensure that README.* is in a suitable format for NotePad. I usually create my file with NotePad and call it README.TXT. If there are several README.* files installed then only the last one will be loaded into NotePad. Maximum destination path + filename length = 79 characters. Maximum Program Manager description = 40 characters. For example if A: was the source drive then the line File,C:\WORK\PROGRAM.EXE,Super Program would cause the file PROGRAM.EXE to be copied from the source location to the directory C:\WORK and a Program Manager icon with the description Super Program to be created for it. The destination directory C:\WORK would be created if it didn't already exist. The icon would be inserted in the most recent group named in the INSTALL.INF file or the currently active Program Manager group otherwise. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I The same syntax as for the F command above. This command however only causes an icon to be created and does not look for a physical file to copy. This is particularly useful for network workstation installations where the files may physically exist only on a server's hard drive but icons are required on the client machines. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G If a line begins with an upper or lower case G then there must follow one parameter. This parameter is the name of a Program Manager group. This is the group where any icons that follow will be inserted. If the group does not exist then it will be created. You can add as many group lines to INSTALL.INF as you like. Remember however that icons will always be inserted into the last group specified. If you do not specify a group then icons will be added to the currently active group. Maximum group name size = 30 characters. For example the line Group,Super Database would cause the group named Super Database to be created if it did not already exist, any file lines that followed containing icon descriptions would have their icon created in the group Super Database. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T If a line begins with a T then there must follow one parameter. This parameter is a text string of up to 80 characters. The title text of the main Install window will be changed to this string. For example the line Title,Super Database Installation would change the title bar of the main Install window to Super Database Installation This instruction can be used several times in an INSTALL.INF file. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any other lines will be ignored completely and may be used as comments etc. ============================================================================================= INSTALL.INI This file (if it exists) allows the text of dialog box titles, prompts, etc. to be altered. This is especially useful for customising the application for users who do not read English. There are a number of lines which can be included in this file which I have listed below. If the file does not exist then all defaults will be used. Also if any particular line is ommitted then the default text will be used for that entry. The lines all have the following INI style syntax: ItemToChange=ItemText where ItemToChange is one of the possibilities listed below and ItemText is the text that you wish to use for the particular item. You can redefine as few or as many messages as you like. The maximum length of each text item is 80 characters. Messages longer than this will be truncated. The section heading is [Install]. Valid entries are as follows (the defaults are shown but you can enter any text) [Install] Title_Success=Success Title_Error=Error Title_DiskChange=Disk Change Request Title_Directory=Directory Prompt Msg_Directory=Files will be installed into: Msg_InstComplete=Installation Complete! Msg_InstIncomplete=Installation Incomplete! Msg_CannotOpenFile=Cannot Open File Msg_PleaseInsert=Please insert Msg_CreatingGroup=Creating the Program Manager group Msg_AddingIcon=Creating a Program Manager icon for the file Msg_InstallingFile=Installing the file Msg_LaunchNotepad=NotePad will be launched with the file ============================================================================================= FOR THE USER The user will put the first installation disk into any floppy drive and select Run then [drive]:INSTALL from any Windows application with a Run command (e.g. Program Manager or File Manager). The user will be promted for subsequent disks if and when they are required. The user may also copy the entire contents of the disk or disks to a directory of his or her choice and execute Install from there. In this case multiple disks will not be prompted for. ============================================================================================= REGISTRATION This version has a built in restriction, it will only install one file. If you register you will be sent a version which will install any number of files. The registration fee for this product is $20.00 (USD) If you like and use this product then please send payment to Mike McLoughlin Champion Software 58 Abbotsham Road Bideford Devon EX39 3AP UK You may also register through the Compuserve Registration Database. Select GO SWREG, the registration ID is 1702. I would appreciate it very much if you could distribute this product, including this file, to your friends and other bulletin boards. If you have any problems, queries or suggestions regarding this product then please write to me at the above address or contact me via Compuserve (my ID is 100271,3155)