Creating an installation package for a Windows application you write yourself

1 How to create an installation package after a Windows program has been written

This can be published directly in VS, you can make an MSI installation package and EXE installation package.

2 What the Windows Application installation package does

RPM installation package, just copy the corresponding files to a different directory. So what does the window installation package do?

There is a table inside the MSI, which is an instruction that Windows Installer will interpret and execute.

It will also copy the files in the installation package to the appropriate directory. The point is, what else does it do in addition to copying?

3 installation package What else does it do, such as the registry, in addition to putting the corresponding files in different directories?

First, the installed product is told to the system.

Second, find out if the system has a file I need, rather than a dynamic library.

Third, calculate the amount of disk space required for this installation and determine if the current disk space is sufficient.

Four, modify the registry.

4 What is the registration form for the installation package operation? What role does the registry play in the process of program installation and operation

You can add a key-value pair to the registry when you make the installation package, which can be accessed in your code.

5 Windows Installer

5.1 Windows Installer resolves the command table in the Windows installation package to complete the installation process

5.2 Standard actions for Windows Installer

Tables used by Windows Installer in the installation package:

There are a lot of tables

5.2.1 action to release products, features, and components

is to tell the Windows system about the products, features, and components.

5.2.2 File Find action

When installing, find out if a file exists on the system.

5.2.3 file costing action

See how much disk space your current installation will consume.

5.2.4 File Installation Action

is to say that the specified file is copied from the source directory to the destination directory.

5.2.5 Modifying the Registry action

After the parts and files are installed in the destination directory, you can modify the registry. The Registry modification action can be performed only after the file installation action has completed.

5.2.5.1 Registerclassinfo Action

Registers the COM class information for the installation part.

5.2.5.2 Registerextensioninfo Action

5.2.5.3 Registerprogidinfo Action

5.2.5.4 Registermimeinfo Action

5.2.5.5 writeregistryvalues Action

5.2.5.6 removeregistryvalues Action

This is done when uninstalling.

Resources:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372022 (v=vs.85). aspx

Orca Tool

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa370557 (v=vs.85). aspx

Creating an installation package for a Windows application you write yourself