RAD Tools Integration
The following article uses options that are available starting
with the Professional edition and project
type.
This tutorial describes a simple implementation pattern so developers can understand the basics of integrating Advanced Installer into a RAD Tool. At its core, it all revolves around working with Advanced Installer's command line interface.
The following modules are key elements in the overall integration
process. Keeping the base command line interaction with Advanced Installer you can of
course optimize the implementation any way you need.
1. Installer Project Type
In your RAD tool, design and implement a new type of project for creating installers.
This type of project will be only a GUI for the Advanced Installer command lines which will handle installer creation and editing. It will create a new Advanced Installer project file using the /newproject command line. In fact, this will be the actual installer project but only you will know about it.
Example
"AdvancedInstaller.com" /newproject "C:\RAD Tools Integration\Tutorial.aip" -type "professional" -lang "en" -overwrite
You can have several installer project types depending on how each
edit command line option is available in Advanced Installer. Certain edit command line
options require the Professional or Enterprise editions.
2. Edit installer settings
Design and implement a GUI through which your users can edit the installer project. Each control interaction can use the appropriate /edit command line option. For a complete list of Advanced Installer's edit command line options please follow Editing Projects from the Command Line article.
Example
"AdvancedInstaller.com" /edit "C:\RAD Tools Integration\Tutorial.aip" /AddFile APPDIR "C:\RAD Tools Integration\File.txt"
Please keep in mind that using non freeware edit command line
options will require your RAD tool users to have the corresponding
registered Advanced Installer edition installed on their development
machine.
3. Save operation
If you decide a different implementation approach such as executing an .AIC file of commands instead of individual /edit command line options, you can consider the file of commands Save option. For more related information you can read "Executing a file of commands" section from this user guide article.
4. Build operation
This operation will build the installer package using the /build command line option.
Example
"AdvancedInstaller.com" /build "C:\RAD Tools Integration\Tutorial.aip"
5. Advanced Installer prerequisite
Since your RAD tool will be working with the Advanced Installer CLI, you will need to include Advanced Installer as an installation prerequisite.
Sample
All important installer settings have an equivalent command line option you can work with. To demonstrate the variety and freedom you can achieve by working with the Advanced Installer CLI, we've converted the Professional tutorial's settings to command lines. For more insight, please follow How to create a package using the command line interface article.
For a complete list of Advanced Installer's command line options please follow
the Working with Advanced Installer from the Command Line user guide article.