Solved InstallShield LE & SQL Scripts

[lehnerus2000]

I'm supposed to create an installer for a program for my TAFE course.
The program needs a DB to work.

I got the short straw and drew the junky InstallSheld LE.

Other students got the even worse ClickOnce (it has failed to create an installer every time I've tried it).

Only the guys who got to use WIX, got a proper tool (and instructions).

I cannot find any useful examples of how you include and execute SQL scripts (to generate a new DB with the appropriate tables) in InstallShield LE.

Does anyone know how it's done?

 

[Mellon Head]

I just had a quick look at this, so I'm not 100% sure, but there might be something you can use:

Creating a Sample Installation that Creates a SQL Server Database by Running Customized SQL Script

 

[lehnerus2000]

I just had a quick look at this, so I'm not 100% sure, but there might be something you can use:

Creating a Sample Installation that Creates a SQL Server Database by Running Customized SQL Script

Hi Mellon Head, thanks for looking into this.

I've seen that page before but it must be referring to a different product.

InstallShield LE adds itself to Visual Studio (it gives you a wizard style tool).
None of the options mentioned exist in IS LE (e.g. View List, Behavior and Logic, Property Manager, Runtime tab, etc.).

It seems that you have to use Custom Actions and some sort of VB script, which I've downloaded from MS, but I couldn't find any examples of how it's supposed to be used.

I tried including it in my project, hoping it would trigger some errors, but the installer I created didn't throw any errors.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Too Difficult

It must actually be impossible.
Comments on the various forums all suggest that you should use WIX.

My lecturer just told me to forget about trying to create a DB for the program using InstallShield.

 

[Mellon Head]

It must actually be impossible.
Comments on the various forums all suggest that you should use WIX.

My lecturer just told me to forget about trying to create a DB for the program using InstallShield.

Probably a good thing. Installshield is one messed up suite of utilities.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Thanks Mellon Head

Probably a good thing. Installshield is one messed up suite of utilities.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

It's not your fault.

It's very easy to create a basic program installer using InstallShield LE, easier than WIX or ClickOnce.

Apparently the point of the exercise was to prove that WIX is the best.
WIX should be the easiest as it uses old school XML, but finding useful file structure information proved very difficult.

I can't Rep you, but thanks for trying.