Creating a installer

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mikey186
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Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:18 am

Creating a installer

Post by mikey186 » Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:22 am

Hello, I want to create a installer using LiveCode, the example stacks are way too outdated, and I want to try making it myself. Is there a way I can just move to the next pane without opening another window?
Snipaste_2019-02-27_00-16-05.png

bogs
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by bogs » Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:10 pm

I'm curious, which example stacks are you referring to? As far as I know, Code going back to at least Lc 2 should still be valid, and probably at least back to MetaCard, possibly even to Hypercard (with some adjustments), so I can't imagine how an example would become 'outdated'.

As far as moving from one pane to another (I am guessing here that you mean cards), it is as simple as :

Code: Select all

go first # goes to the first card in a stack...
go next # goes to the next card in a stack...
go previous # goes to the previous card...
go to card number x # goes to a specific card in a stack...
go last # goes to the last card in a stack...
If you mean something else, feel free to pop back in and say so :D
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Klaus
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by Klaus » Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:20 pm

Since an installer will only be neccessary for a Windows installation (maybe for Linux, too,
no idea, but on a Mac we use DMGs to distribute apps), I would use "Inno Setup".

I used it a lot in the past, it is free, get it here: http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php

bogs
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by bogs » Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:31 pm

I didn't know it was necessary for any OS, really, but it is a good learning project :wink:
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jacque
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by jacque » Wed Feb 27, 2019 5:43 pm

bogs wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:31 pm
I didn't know it was necessary for any OS, really, but it is a good learning project :wink:
If you don't need to mess with the Windows registry, desktop icons, and other arcane stuff, Windows doesn't need an installer either. But you should make one anyway, because reasons.

My client released an app as a zip file and was deluged with support questions. Even if the user could get the zip open (double click wasn't intuitive enough) they would often try to run the app from within the zip folder, because Windows "opens" a zip file by simply displaying the contents in a new window. To do the actual extraction you have to drag the contents out to the desktop or into another folder. This proved to be too much for many of them, and I agree it isn't intuitive at all. The app didn't run well from inside the zip archive and the app was accused of being buggy and unusable.

So make it easy on yourself and give them what they expect. Even though we provided explicit instructions (three sentences was all it took) nobody read them.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

Klaus
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by Klaus » Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:01 pm

Exactly, the average Windows-user is lost without an installer! 8)

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Re: Creating a installer

Post by jacque » Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:54 pm

Klaus wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:01 pm
Exactly, the average Windows-user is lost without an installer! 8)
To be fair, a new Mac user would probably try to run the app from the expanded DMG window. The difference though is that, depending on the app, that can often work.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

Klaus
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by Klaus » Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:57 pm

jacque wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:54 pm
Klaus wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:01 pm
Exactly, the average Windows-user is lost without an installer! 8)
To be fair, a new Mac user would probably try to run the app from the expanded DMG window. The difference though is that, depending on the app, that can often work.
Hehe, true! :D

mikey186
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by mikey186 » Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:29 pm

bogs wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:10 pm
I'm curious, which example stacks are you referring to? As far as I know, Code going back to at least Lc 2 should still be valid, and probably at least back to MetaCard, possibly even to Hypercard (with some adjustments), so I can't imagine how an example would become 'outdated'.
Such as "MetaCard", "Installmaker plug-in", and "Picollio Installer", those stacks were built as earlier as 2010 and back to 2008.
bogs wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:10 pm
As far as moving from one pane to another (I am guessing here that you mean cards), it is as simple as :

Code: Select all

go first # goes to the first card in a stack...
go next # goes to the next card in a stack...
go previous # goes to the previous card...
go to card number x # goes to a specific card in a stack...
go last # goes to the last card in a stack...
Well how do I make cards, and when I click on a button, it takes me to the next stack. What I would like to see in the installer is something like this...

|
|—Welcome page
|
|—License Agreement (w/radio selection to agree/not agree
|
|
|—a card where user enters a field value, and then once a user clicks "next", it sends a HTTP POST request with the data, and if it calls back "success" then keeps going.
|
|
|
|—directory where the files be installed
|
|
|
|—Files downloaded and installed
|
|
|
|—Installation completed with a button to exit.

mikey186
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by mikey186 » Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:32 pm

Image
Klaus wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:20 pm
Since an installer will only be neccessary for a Windows installation (maybe for Linux, too,
no idea, but on a Mac we use DMGs to distribute apps), I would use "Inno Setup".
That only works for windows. Unfortunately, Mac LACKS install creators. InstallBuilder by BitRock is too expensive. Even with a open source license, I don't think that the project would qualify.

Klaus
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by Klaus » Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:58 pm

mikey186 wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:32 pm
Image
Klaus wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:20 pm
Since an installer will only be neccessary for a Windows installation (maybe for Linux, too,
no idea, but on a Mac we use DMGs to distribute apps), I would use "Inno Setup".
That only works for windows. Unfortunately, Mac LACKS install creators. InstallBuilder by BitRock is too expensive. Even with a open source license, I don't think that the project would qualify.
Yes, that's what I wrote!

But you can create DMGs for Mac with some SHELL commands or check a tutorial like this one:
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-DMG-File-on-a-Mac

I very rarely see a "real" installer" on a Mac, just a DMG for Drag'n'Drop, because of the nature of a Mac application, which is in fact a FOLDER in disguise and we can put everything neccessary for our app into the application package and thus distribute just ONE file.

bogs
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by bogs » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:05 pm

mikey186 wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:29 pm
Such as "MetaCard", "Installmaker plug-in", and "Picollio Installer", those stacks were built as earlier as 2010 and back to 2008.
Hey now, that is my primary IDE your talking about, it is plenty up to date :twisted:

Never heard of the other two. I'll have to go look those up.
mikey186 wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:29 pm
Well how do I make cards, and when I click on a button, it takes me to the next stack. What I would like to see in the installer is something like this...
|
|—Welcome page
|
|—License Agreement (w/radio selection to agree/not agree
|
|—a card where user enters a field value, and then once a user clicks "next", it sends a HTTP POST request with the data, and if it calls back "success" then keeps going.
|
|—directory where the files be installed
|
|—Files downloaded and installed
|
|—Installation completed with a button to exit.
You mean something like this?
sixCardInstaller.livecode.zip
Bang bang!
(1.24 KiB) Downloaded 188 times
Image

Pistris
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by Pistris » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:30 pm

@mickey186

when reading your post I see that you have many questions on how to do different things
that range from very easy to a little more complicated

I would suggest trying to learn things one by one
Its gonna be hard for anyone to explain all in one post

what I do since I started programming 18 years ago is watch or read tutorials
and create small text files with instruction that I can understand for each topic

start with cards and stacks, how to navigate them, how to create them etc

I don't know what type of account you have but I think if you are a paying user
you have access to all the video tutorials, there is a world of information

the dictionary is also a good source of information

Once you get the hang of it is. easier for people to help you on specific things

happy coding

bogs
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Creating a installer

Post by bogs » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:33 pm

jacque wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 5:43 pm
bogs wrote:
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:31 pm
I didn't know it was necessary for any OS, really, but it is a good learning project :wink:
If you don't need to mess with the Windows registry, desktop icons, and other arcane stuff, Windows doesn't need an installer either. But you should make one anyway, because reasons.
I suppose. I stopped using Windows right around the time Win95 came out, pretty much, up till then it was common place to just download and unzip a program and run it. Times do have a way of changing I guess :wink:
My client released an app as a zip file and was deluged with support questions. Even if the user could get the zip open (double click wasn't intuitive enough) they would often try to run the app from within the zip folder, because Windows "opens" a zip file by simply displaying the contents in a new window. To do the actual extraction you have to drag the contents out to the desktop or into another folder. This proved to be too much for many of them, and I agree it isn't intuitive at all. The app didn't run well from inside the zip archive and the app was accused of being buggy and unusable.

So make it easy on yourself and give them what they expect. Even though we provided explicit instructions (three sentences was all it took) nobody read them.
Oh man, you reminded me of the one time I sent my mother a program that would keep track of her mileage (switched her to linux in her late 60s, she loved it). She also tried to run that program from inside the zip file. Man do I miss her :cry:

Back on topic though, I dunno, I used to do tech support, Klaus isn't too far off (but doesn't go far enough imho), 90% of the people I used to talk to shouldn't be using computers at all. I suspect when they started trying to make computers into appliances is when we started the downhill slide.

I remember one call I was helping a guy configure his computer to connect to the network, he told me he didn't have much knowledge about computers. I asked him to read me the label on the back of his modem, he started screaming at me that he had just said he didn't know much about computers!!!

I asked if he knew what the modem was? He confirmed he did, so at that point I just asked him if he knew how to read :roll:
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jacque
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Re: Creating a installer

Post by jacque » Thu Feb 28, 2019 5:27 pm

I asked if he knew what the modem was? He confirmed he did, so at that point I just asked him if he knew how to read :roll:
LOL. Did you lose your job? I suppose you know about the ID-ten-T error then.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

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