How to create a Custom User friendly Log for InstallScript?

This article explains how to create your own logging for InstallScript / InstallScript MSI project or Custom Actions writted in InstallScript.

Use the following code-snippet to create Custom Logging for InstallScript

// Prototype Definition
prototype ISfn_CreateLogFile();
prototype BOOL ISfn_LogError(STRING, STRING, STRING);

// Global Declaration
STRING gLogFilePath,gLogFileName,sgLogfile, gsvProductName; // For Log file
BOOL IsLogCreated,IsLogWritten,IsTempLogPath; // For Log file

Add the following code in OnBegin event for InstallScript / InstallScript MSI project or just before invoking ISfn_LogError function.
// Read the ProductName to a variable
nvSize = 256;
MsiGetProperty(ISMSI_HANDLE,"ProductName",gsvProductName,nvSize);
//Create the Log File
ISfn_CreateLogFile();
　
How to invoke ISfn_LogError function for Custom Log?

For Example:
ISfn_LogError("Local system name", "From Wscript : '" + svLocalSystemName + "'" ,"Success")
- first parameter states that the particular step is perfomed while getting Local System Name,
- the second parameter logs the retrieved local system name, the third parameter
- the third parameter determines that the actions output is a Success

Function Definition:
Copy the following function definition to your .rul file:
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
// ISfn_CreateLogFile()
// Description: This function creates the installation log file in the format of
// PRODUCTNAME_Install_<InstallDate>__<InstallTime>.txt under
// Temp folder of the currently logged in user.
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
function ISfn_CreateLogFile()

STRING sInstallerLogFilePath,sProdName;
STRING sSysDate,sSysTime,sHhr,sMin,sSec,svString,sLogFileName;
NUMBER nvResult,nPos,nHhrLen,nMinLen;
STRING szErrMsg;
NUMBER nvFileHandle;

begin

sInstallerLogFilePath="";
sInstallerLogFilePath = TempFolder;
if (ExistsDir(sInstallerLogFilePath)=0) then
         gLogFilePath = sInstallerLogFilePath;
else
         sInstallerLogFilePath = "";
         GetDisk(TempFolder,sInstallerLogFilePath);
         gLogFilePath = sInstallerLogFilePath + "\\";
         IsTempLogPath = TRUE;
endif;

// Creating the Log File Name
sProdName = gsvProductName;
//Frame the Log File Name
// Get the current date.
GetSystemInfo (DATE, nvResult, sSysDate);
// Get the current time.
GetSystemInfo (TIME, nvResult, sSysTime);
nPos = StrFind(sSysTime,":");
//Get the Hour part from the Date
StrSub ( sHhr, sSysTime, 0, nPos );
nHhrLen = StrLength(sHhr);
nHhrLen = nHhrLen + 1;
//Get the Minutes part from the Date
StrSub ( sMin, sSysTime, nHhrLen, 2 );
nMinLen = StrLength(sMin);
nMinLen = nHhrLen + nMinLen + 1;
//Get the Seconds part from the Date
StrSub ( sSec, sSysTime, nMinLen, 2 );
sSysTime = sHhr + "_" + sMin + "_" + sSec;
//Frame the final Log File name
if (!MAINTENANCE) then
          sLogFileName = sProdName + "_Install_" + sSysDate + "__" + sSysTime +".txt";
else
          sLogFileName = sProdName + "_UnInstall_" + sSysDate + "__" + sSysTime +".txt";
endif;
gLogFileName = sLogFileName;
// Set the file mode to append.
OpenFileMode (FILE_MODE_APPEND);
// Create a new file and leave it open.
if (CreateFile (nvFileHandle, gLogFilePath, sLogFileName) != 0) then
        // Report the error.
       MessageBox ("Error log file creation failed. Installation continues...", INFORMATION);
       IsLogCreated = FALSE;
else
       IsLogCreated = TRUE;endif;

// Set the message to write to the file.
// Append the message to the file.
// Write the Header Informations into the file
szErrMsg = "*******************************************************************************************************************";

if (WriteLine(nvFileHandle, szErrMsg) != 0) then
       // Report the error.
       MessageBox ("Errors couldnot be logged into the log file.     Installation continues...", INFORMATION);
       IsLogWritten = FALSE;
else
        IsLogWritten = TRUE;
        sgLogfile = gLogFilePath ^ sLogFileName;
endif;

if (IsLogWritten = TRUE)then
endif;

szErrMsg = "";
if (!MAINTENANCE) then
        szErrMsg = " "+ gsvProductName +" Installation Log ";
else
        szErrMsg = " "+ gsvProductName +" UnInstallation Log ";
endif;
WriteLine(nvFileHandle, szErrMsg);
szErrMsg = "";
szErrMsg = " Created on " + sSysDate + "__" + sSysTime + " ";
WriteLine(nvFileHandle, szErrMsg);
szErrMsg = "";
szErrMsg = "*******************************************************************************************************************";
WriteLine(nvFileHandle, szErrMsg);
szErrMsg = "";

// Close the file.
CloseFile (nvFileHandle);

end; // end of ISfn_CreateLogFile


 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
// ISfn_LogError()
// Description: This function logs the installation actions in the Installation
// log file which was created using ISfn_CreateLogFile() function
// Input Parameters:
// ActionRequested: Action name/detail that is related to that particular action
// Parameters: Data that are passed to that particular function / action
// Status: Determines the output of that particular action(Information/Success/Error)
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
function BOOL ISfn_LogError(ActionRequested, Parameters, Status)

NUMBER nvFileHandle,nvResult;
STRING szErrMsg,sSysDate,sSysTime;

begin
end; // end of ISfn_LogError

if (IsLogCreated=TRUE && IsLogWritten = TRUE) then
GetSystemInfo (DATE, nvResult, sSysDate);
GetSystemInfo (TIME, nvResult, sSysTime);
szErrMsg = "";
if Status = "Error" then
szErrMsg = "[" + sSysDate + "," + sSysTime + "] ERROR " + ActionRequested + " :: " + Parameters + " :: " + Status;
else
szErrMsg = "[" + sSysDate + "," + sSysTime + "] " + ActionRequested + " :: " + Parameters + " :: " + Status;
endif;

OpenFileMode (FILE_MODE_APPEND);
if (OpenFile (nvFileHandle, gLogFilePath, gLogFileName) = 0) then
WriteLine(nvFileHandle, szErrMsg);
endif;
CloseFile (nvFileHandle);
szErrMsg = "";
endif;

Adding a VBScript Custom Action to Installshield Merge Module

This article explains about adding a VBScript Custom Action to the Merge Module created using InstallShield 2010 SP1 and using the same in another InstallShield Project (Say Basic MSI Project).

Create a VBScript Custom Action (stored in binary table) in traditional way as you do in your Basic MSI or InstallScript MSI project. But the options to specify the Install UI / Execute Sequence and Conditions are not directly available as Custom Action properties in merge module project

So the conditions can be added to a custom action in a merge module by inserting the custom action into the sequence and modifying the condition column of the ModuleInstallUISequence or ModuleInstallExecuteSequence table. The following knowledge base article explains how to Insert a Custom Action into a Merge Module:

http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=Q112907

If you want the custom action to run only when a specific patch is being applied then you would possible use the PATCH property and the specific property name for the patch as part of the condition.

This is documented in the following msdn article:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa370576(VS.85).aspx

To run the custom action during the uninstallation of a patch, you can set the "Run during Uninstall of Patch" property to yes. This can be changed under the custom action view and is described in the following helpnet article:

http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/doc/Helpnet/installshield16helplib_sp1/CustomActionSettings.htm

Where is the ICON for Add/Remove shortcut is stored?

Most of the product owners prefers to use Custom / Product specific icons for Add / Remove Programs (ARP) entry instead of using the default InstallShield or Windows Installer icon. Though we have an option to specify the ARP icon while creating the installer, we always wonder where this icon is stored after installation. This article details about that.

Once the product is installed, the following registry key is created.

• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\0CBC24CEC944140453282975376B5482   

ProductIcon - C:\WINDOWS\Installer\{EC42CBC0-449C-4041-3582-925773B64528}\ARPPRODUCTICON.exe

• The Custom ARP icon is stored in the form of ARPPRODUCTION.exe under C:\WINDOWS\Installer\<ProductGUID>. This is just a few kb file which has the Custom icon set for it. Please note that C:\WINDOWS\Installer is a hidden folder.
• Now you will wonder where does the key - 0CBC24CEC944140453282975376B5482 comes from. Being the developer you can easily conclude that this code is neither a Product Code nor a Package Code nor an Upgrade Code. There is a small trick involved in forming this code from Product Code and here is the steps to arrive the same
• Remove the curly braces and write the Product Code
  EC42CBC0-449C-4041-3582-925773B64528
• Reverse each piece of the Product Code
  0CBC24CE-C944-1404-5328-2975376B5482
• Remove the spaces and -'s between the above code and you will get
  0CBC24CEC944140453282975376B5482This is used under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products.

InstallScript - Reversing Input String

Here is the InstallScript function to reverse the input string and return the reversed string.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// StrReverse()
// Description: This function reverses the input string
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
function STRING StrReverse(svStr)
         string szReversedString;
         number nLen, nCnt;
begin
         nLen = StrLength(svStr) - 1;
         for nCnt = 0 to nLen
                szReversedString[nCnt] = svStr[nLen - nCnt];
         endfor;
         return szReversedString;
end; // End of StrReverse

Deploying 32-bit Applications on 64-bit that requires 32-bit ASP.NET

This article focuses on how to deploy 32-bit .Net applications that are customized to work on 64-bit machine (NOT applicable for Native 64-bit application / Installer).

A 32-bit .Net Application would need 32-bit version ASP.NET 2.0 as a prerequisite and hence it might look for WOW64 registry entry (‘RootVer’ under HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432node\Microsoft\ASP.NET)

• On Windows 2008 R2 64-bit machine, by default both 32-bit & 64-bit ASP.NET are registered and hence the application / installer that is looking for 32-bit registry path will work by default.

• On Windows 2003 64-bit machine, by default only 64-bit ASP.NET is registered and you will have to follow the Microsoft KB, to register 32-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0.

You will have to re-run the 32-bit installer after completing the steps in the Microsoft KB. We have tested the same on a Windows 2003 64-bit machine.

[Note: Though the MS KB talks about switching between the 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 1.1 and the 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0 on a 64-bit version of Windows, its applicable for 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 2.0 and 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0.]

Please refer here for more details on 32-bit version ASP.NET registration.

Recommended Reading:
How to switch between the 32-bit versions of ASP.NET 1.1 and the 64-bit version of ASP.NET 2.0 on a 64-bit version of Windows?