How to show an HTML billboard control

The following article uses options that are available starting with the Enterprise edition and project type.

A useful functionality is to include your own custom HTML billboard animation in a control on the ProgressDlg. Its usual purpose is to advertise your product or keep the user entertained during a long installation process.

The implementation of this article implies you already developed an .HTML file that outputs billboard functionality. If you don't have one, here's an example that demonstrates the concept.

By proceeding with the following steps, you will be authoring an .EXE installer because the html host control requires activating the Enhanced User Interface.

1. Open Advanced Installer

2. Create a new Enterprise project type

3. Go to Files and Folders Page - Installer Project

4. Add the .HTML file containing the code for the billboard with all its dependencies in the same folder as temporary files

5. Go to Dialog Editor Page and select the ProgressDlg

6. Add a HTML Host Control and select it in the editor

7. From the control's properties in the right pane select File as the source type and point to the .HTML temporary file from step four

8. Change the control's "Has Border" extended attribute to False from the right pane

9. To keep the HTML file's intended appearence inside the control, adjust the width and height of the HTML host control to match the HTML file's body. Also, you should set the HTML file's body style with the following CSS attributes:

position:absolute;
top:0pt;
left:0pt;

If you already have the .HTML file uploaded to a server, simply omit the fourth step and on the seventh step select URL as the source type, providing the file's internet address.