DonationCoder.com Software > Coding Snacks

Update of NirSoft's ZipInstaller

(1/3) > >>

ashecorven:
Hi,

Just found this site, so many useful tools and it really looks like a wonderful community.

Searched to see if the programme I've been looking for has already been written but had no luck.

[http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/zipinst.html]
"The ZipInstaller utility installs and uninstalls applications and utilities that do not provide an internal installation program. It automatically extracts all files from the Zip file, copies them to the destination folder you select, creates shortcuts in the start menu and in your desktop, and adds an uninstall module to allow you to automatically remove the software in the future."

I've been using it for quite a long time, it's a simple app that is invoked from the context menu of archives.

Unfortunately there has always been a problem with it. I contacted Nir to see if an update is possible but have had no response.

- The majority of programmes I want to install in this fashion don't include correct information if any (or ZipInstaller is not picking it up). ZipInstaller does not allow the user to alter the detected Company/Author, Product Name, version, description - before clicking Install, resulting in strange or blank entries in Programmes and Features (not at all desirable).

Would also be a thousand times better if it
- Supported other archive formats
- Detected whether programme is 32 or 64-bit and installed to Program Files or Program Files (x86) accordingly
- Had it's own installer!

What do you all think?

Ath:
Use Inno Setup. :up:

ashecorven:
Hey Ath, thanks.

Does it have the same functionality to right click an archive and install it? (If it's listed in features I don't see it, or assume it's something else)

/edit: made less confusing.

Ath:
No, Inno Setup is a full-fledged installer builder (compiler), that you, as a developer, write a script for. It comes with a built-in wizard to generate a basic script from a set of files you point it at, but that still needs some work to make it nice and clean. There are some 3rd party automation tools that can generate a script, or part of a script, for you, but eventually, installation of many software tools usually requires more than a simple shortcut to an exe file. And most software that needs to be installed comes wrapped in an installer, often using Inno Setup or an NSIS installer (that I have next to none knowledge of, except from using it to install tools on my systems ;)).
And for portable software, there are several ways of handling the 'install' process, indeed often just an unzip/create shortcut(s), but what if the user has his own home-brew starter/menu script?

MilesAhead:
This free script generator looks interesting:
https://randemsystems.com/innoscript.html

Perhaps a batch could be written in a few lines to unzip to a working folder, then run this script generator to create a simple Inno Setup script?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page