Home All Groups Group Topic Archive Search About

Installer Project with Custom Action for Application Configuration

Author
8 Nov 2006 6:38 AM
Lucas Ponzo
How to do custom action in a Install Project that asks for database
conectivity and set these information in the web.config or app.config ?

To be more generic, how to do a dialog that receives custom information and
store then in the configuration file (web.config or app.config)  ?

Can I run a custom .NET program in this Custom Action to, for example,
encrypt the datase password or insert other configurations, like in
AppSettings section ?

--
Lucas Ponzo
..NET Solutions Architect/Engineer
Override Software

Author
8 Nov 2006 8:51 AM
Gary Chang[MSFT]
Hi Lucas,

>To be more generic, how to do a dialog that receives custom
>information and store then in the configuration file
>(web.config or app.config)  ?

I am afraid the VS2005 is not a full functional setup project development
environment, it is difficult to customize the installation UI dialog within
the VS2005 IDE.

>How to do custom action in a Install Project that asks for database
>conectivity and set these information in the web.config or app.config?
>Can I run a custom .NET program in this Custom Action to,

yes, you can wrap those operations in a .NET application and execute it as
an Custom Action during the installation process:

1. Select your installer project in Solution Explorer. On the View menu,
point to Editor, and the click Custom Actions.

2. In the Custom Actions Editor, select the Custom Actions | Install node.
On its context menu, choose Add Custom Action.

3. In the Select item in Project dialog box, double-click the Application
Folder, then select Add File... to add the .NET application (which would do
the application configuration stuffs). Click OK to add that .NET
application to the Install custom action nodes.

If your configuration application needs some command line arguments, you
can specify it in the correspond custom action item's Properties window,
select the CustomActionData property and add /Args="your commandline args".
Include the quotation marks.

I hope the above information helps, if you have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to let me know. I am standing by to help you.


Thanks!

Best regards,

Gary Chang
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/managednewsgroups/default.aspx#notif
ications.

Note: The MSDN Managed Newsgroup support offering is for non-urgent issues
where an initial response from the community or a Microsoft Support
Engineer within 1 business day is acceptable. Please note that each follow
up response may take approximately 2 business days as the support
professional working with you may need further investigation to reach the
most efficient resolution. The offering is not appropriate for situations
that require urgent, real-time or phone-based interactions or complex
project analysis and dump analysis issues. Issues of this nature are best
handled working with a dedicated Microsoft Support Engineer by contacting
Microsoft Customer Support Services (CSS) at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/support/default.aspx.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Author
8 Nov 2006 5:42 PM
Lucas Ponzo
Hi  Gary, thanks for your reply

The fact that is possible to launch other applications facilitates the work.

But I have some questions about it:

1 - If I run another application, the
System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager (that I'll use to make
configuration stuffs) will point to this specific app, not the production
APP. How to connect this config app to the configuration files of the
producion application ?

Best Regards.

--
Lucas Ponzo
..NET Solutions Architect/Engineer
Override Software


""Gary Chang[MSFT]"" wrote:

Show quote
> Hi Lucas,
>
> >To be more generic, how to do a dialog that receives custom
> >information and store then in the configuration file
> >(web.config or app.config)  ?
>
> I am afraid the VS2005 is not a full functional setup project development
> environment, it is difficult to customize the installation UI dialog within
> the VS2005 IDE.
>
> >How to do custom action in a Install Project that asks for database
> >conectivity and set these information in the web.config or app.config?
> >Can I run a custom .NET program in this Custom Action to,
>
> yes, you can wrap those operations in a .NET application and execute it as
> an Custom Action during the installation process:
>
> 1. Select your installer project in Solution Explorer. On the View menu,
> point to Editor, and the click Custom Actions.
>
> 2. In the Custom Actions Editor, select the Custom Actions | Install node.
> On its context menu, choose Add Custom Action.
>
> 3. In the Select item in Project dialog box, double-click the Application
> Folder, then select Add File... to add the .NET application (which would do
> the application configuration stuffs). Click OK to add that .NET
> application to the Install custom action nodes.
>
> If your configuration application needs some command line arguments, you
> can specify it in the correspond custom action item's Properties window,
> select the CustomActionData property and add /Args="your commandline args".
> Include the quotation marks.
>
> I hope the above information helps, if you have any questions or concerns,
> please do not hesitate to let me know. I am standing by to help you.
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Best regards,
>
> Gary Chang
> Microsoft Online Community Support
> ==================================================
> Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/managednewsgroups/default.aspx#notif
> ications.
>
> Note: The MSDN Managed Newsgroup support offering is for non-urgent issues
> where an initial response from the community or a Microsoft Support
> Engineer within 1 business day is acceptable. Please note that each follow
> up response may take approximately 2 business days as the support
> professional working with you may need further investigation to reach the
> most efficient resolution. The offering is not appropriate for situations
> that require urgent, real-time or phone-based interactions or complex
> project analysis and dump analysis issues. Issues of this nature are best
> handled working with a dedicated Microsoft Support Engineer by contacting
> Microsoft Customer Support Services (CSS) at
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/support/default.aspx.
> ==================================================
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>
>
Author
9 Nov 2006 5:25 AM
Gary Chang[MSFT]
Hi Lucas,

>How to connect this config app to the configuration files
>of the producion application ?

In .NET 2.0 Framework, there is a ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration
method which could be used to open a specified client configuration file. I
suggest you can check the following link for it:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.configuration.configurationm
anager.openexeconfiguration.aspx


Thanks!

Best regards,

Gary Chang
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/managednewsgroups/default.aspx#notif
ications.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Author
9 Nov 2006 2:33 PM
Lucas Ponzo
Thank you very much ... I think it resolves my problem ... I'll try to craf
this installer.

Best Regards.

--
Lucas Ponzo
..NET Solutions Architect/Engineer
Override Software


""Gary Chang[MSFT]"" wrote:

Show quote
> Hi Lucas,
>
> >How to connect this config app to the configuration files
> >of the producion application ?
>
> In .NET 2.0 Framework, there is a ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration
> method which could be used to open a specified client configuration file. I
> suggest you can check the following link for it:
>
> http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.configuration.configurationm
> anager.openexeconfiguration.aspx
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Best regards,
>
> Gary Chang
> Microsoft Online Community Support
> ==================================================
> Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/managednewsgroups/default.aspx#notif
> ications.
> ==================================================
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>
>
Author
10 Nov 2006 2:17 AM
Gary Chang[MSFT]
You are very welcome, Lucas. :)

Have a nice weekend!


Best regards,

Gary Chang
Microsoft Online Community Support
==================================================
Get notification to my posts through email? Please refer to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/managednewsgroups/default.aspx#notif
ications.
==================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button