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About Formatted Text Strings in Registry Entries
Software Manager Reference
See Adding Meta Data to the Software Manager Database in the Windows Installer Editor
Help.
Importing Package Resources
When you use the Import Wizard in Software Manager:
If the package is not already in the Software Manager database, it is added along
with its meta data.
Information about the package's resources is added to the database.
Depending on the import options you select, the resources themselves might be
copied to the share point directory and their source paths updated in the
installation.
This lets other team members view and share resources from the package. It also lets
you manage the package in Software Manager.
See
Package Import
on page 25.
When to Add Packages to the Software Manager Database
Typically, you add packages to the Software Manager Database when certain milestones
in the development process are reached. Develop corporate standards for these
milestones.
Recommendations:
When the installation is first created, add its meta data.
When the installation is ready for release, import its resources.
If you import package resources too early in the development process, they are
likely to become outdated. (Example: .DLLs and .EXEs are updated frequently
during a typical development process.) This makes it possible for others to use
those outdated resources in their installations. Consider this when you develop
corporate standards and procedures for importing and sharing resources.
Registry entries in Windows Installer and WiseScript packages can use formatted text
strings that, when evaluated literally, might lead to false positives during conflict
detection. To avoid this problem, Software Manager resolves the formatted text strings
during import of the following types of packages: .WSI, .MSI, .MSM, .MSP, .MST, .WSE.
Example: Application 1 creates a registry key under HKLM\Software\InstallDirKey with a
value of [$comp1]. Application 2 creates a registry key under
HKLM\Software\InstallDirKey with a value of [$comp4]. During installation, both
[$comp1] and [$comp4] evaluate to the same value. If these values were not resolved,
ConflictManager would identify this as a conflict. However, because Software Manager
resolves the values during import, and stores them in the Software Manager database, a
conflict is not detected, which is the correct behavior.
SoftwareManager resolves all properties in a Windows Installer installation. In a
WiseScript installation (.WSE), SoftwareManager resolves only the following predefined
variables:
Importing Packages
24
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