Windows Installer (MSI) is an engine that can perform complex software installations. Currently, a growing number of applications use Windows Installer as their installation engine. Not only is Windows Installer the Microsoft-endorsed method of performing installations on Windows operating systems, but also Windows Installer is highly flexible in its core design, allowing for very complex installations. Most new programs now use Windows Installer for installation.
Windows Installer works by reading MSI files and performing the actions configured inside these files. ActiSetup provides a way to create these MSI files easily, without you having to know the file format. Windows Installer supports several basic types of installation packages, including installations, merge modules,patches, and transforms. Each of these has its own special purpose. ActiSetup allows you to easily author, using the same interface, all of these installation types.
Multiple Build Configurations
Multiple build configurations provide a way to customize the way your installation is built and specify what will be included with your MSI file. You can have more than one build configuration, each one suited for a specific purpose or release type. For example, you can make a build configuration for your English, CD-ROM release and another build configuration for your French, Web (Self-Extractor) release.
ActiSetup includes several predefined build configurations, designed for different distribution media: CD-ROM, Network, and Web Installer. The CD-ROM configuration automatically separates your installation files into multiple disks if they exceed the CD-ROM size limit. You can also easily createsingle-file installers, ideal for distribution on the web. Finally, ActiSetup also allows you to configure a custom build configuration, so you are not restricted to the predefined configurations.
Updater & Bootstrapper
Dacris Updater, included with ActiSetup, is a program that allows you to search for and provide updates for your products. It provides all the logic necessary to determine which updates of a given set are needed for a given product. The updater also comes with a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow you to use it in your own applications.
The smart Setup.exe bootstrapper included with ActiSetup is a setup launcher application that can install additional prerequisite components before it begins the actual installation. The bootstrapper is very easy to configure and has a very user-friendly interface. The bootstrapper can make the installation of components, such as Microsoft .NET, painless to the end-user.
