Standard InstallAnywhere Variables

$/$ or $\$

The $/$ and $\$ variables represent platform-specific directory separators, most useful to refer to paths in a platform-independent manner. These variables have the same value as the Java property file separator.

$CHOSEN_FEATURE_LIST$

The $CHOSEN_FEATURE_LIST$ variable is a comma-separated list of all the end user–selected features (short names).

You can alter the features that will be installed by altering the value of this variable; however, you must understand that the string value of this variable does not clearly represent feature dependencies or parent-child relationships. You can infer these relationships from the string value of $CHOSEN_FEATURE_LIST$ if you fully understand the relationships between the installer's features and the function of the Choose Install Set panel.

Installers interpret the string value of this variable and discard values that do not make sense. Hence, if you add a feature that does not exist in the installer, that portion of the $CHOSEN_FEATURE_LIST$ is ignored. Likewise if you alter this string in a way that violates feature dependencies or parent-child relationships, you may get a different result when you read back the value of this variable.

Note • Use this variable, along with $CHOSEN_FEATURE_n$ and $CHOSEN_FEATURE_NUM$, to track the features that your end users select during install and uninstall.

A similar set of variables exists ($CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_LIST$, $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_NUM$, $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_n$, and $FEATURE_UNINSTALL_LIST$). However, you can use the CHOSEN_FEATURE set of variables at install and uninstall by specifying features’ short names, which are not localizable and thus serve as consistent IDs, regardless of the locale in which the installer or uninstaller is running.

$CHOSEN_FEATURE_NUM$

This variable holds the total number of features (as a string) that the end user chooses to install.

For example, if the end user chooses 3 features during the install, the value of CHOSEN_FEATURE_NUM is 3, and the short names of these features can be referenced in the variables $CHOSEN_FEATURE_1$, $CHOSEN_FEATURE_2$, and $CHOSEN_FEATURE_3$.

Note • Use this variable, along with $CHOSEN_FEATURE_n$ and $CHOSEN_FEATURE_LIST$, to track the features that your end users select during install and uninstall.

A similar set of variables exists ($CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_LIST$, $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_NUM$, $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_n$, and $FEATURE_UNINSTALL_LIST$). However, you can use the CHOSEN_FEATURE set of variables at install and uninstall by specifying features’ short names, which are not localizable and thus serve as consistent IDs, regardless of the locale in which the installer or uninstaller is running.

$CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_n$

If Choose Product Features is enabled, one instance of $CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_n$ is created for each feature as given in the variable $CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_NUM$. This holds the short name of a feature to be installed.

For example, if $CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_NUM$ equals 2, then two variables of this form are created: $CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_1$ and $CHOSEN_INSTALL_BUNDLE_2$.

Note • This variable is deprecated. Instead, use $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_n$.

$CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_LIST$

This variable is a comma-separated list of all the 'selected' features (short names). You can alter the features that will be installed by altering the value of this variable; however, you must understand that the string value of this variable does not clearly represent feature dependencies or parent-child relationships.

(You can infer these relationships from the string value of $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_LIST$ if you fully understand the relationships between the installer's features and the function of the Choose Install Set panel.)

In order to preserve the functional continuity of the graphical installer and any automation efforts that use InstallAnywhere variables, installers interpret the string value of this variable and discard values that do not make sense. Hence, if you add a feature that does not exist in the installer, that portion of the $CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_LIST$ is ignored. Likewise if you alter this string in a way that violates feature dependencies or parent-child relationships, you may get unexpected results.

$CHOSEN_INSTALL_FEATURE_NUM$

If Choose Product Features is enabled, this variable holds the total number of features (as a string) that the end user chooses to install.

$CMD_LINE_ARGUMENTS$

A special InstallAnywhere variable resolved by the launcher and not by the installer. If this variable is in the LAX property lax.command.line.args, it resolves to the arguments that are sent to the LaunchAnywhere executable.

$componentname_DEPENDENCY_STATE_VARIABLE$

If the dependency check passes this variable contains an empty string. If the dependency check fails, the variable contains the Dependency Failed Message.

Set at the beginning of the Install phase or after the Evaluate Dependencies action in Pre-Install.

$DEPENDENCY_FAILURES$

This is a comma-separated list of Dependencies that have failed and are not installed.

Set at the beginning of the Install phase or after the Evaluate Dependencies action in Pre-Install.

$DEPENDENCY_STATUS$

Returns success or failure, depending on the entire dependency evaluation. If any of the dependencies in the installer fail, this variable is set to failure.

Set at the beginning of the Install phase or after the Evaluate Dependencies action in Pre-Install.

$DEVELOPER_DISK_SPACE_ADDITIONAL$

This variable specifies an arbitrary additional value, as a string representing the additional bytes, that the Disk Space Check action then adds to the computed required disk space for the installation. By default this variable has a value of zero.

$EMPTY_STRING$

This variable represents a value of null. This makes $EMPTY_STRING$ useful to determine whether any variables have been initialized. Variables that have not yet been initialized will have this as their value.

$EXTRACTOR_EXECUTABLE$

The full path to the self-extractor executable file in the location where it was launched.

$FREE_DISK_SPACE_BYTES$

$FREE_DISK_SPACE_KILOBYTES$

$FREE_DISK_SPACE_MEGABYTES$

$FREE_DISK_SPACE_GIGABYTES$

The free disk space available on the destination install volume, as a string representing the free bytes, as determined by the Disk Space Check action. The variable gains its value immediately before the installation of any files or folder listed in the Install sequence.

$IA_CLASSPATH$

The classpath as specified in the InstallAnywhere Advanced Designer environment.

$IA_MAINTENANCE_MODE$

This variable identifies whether the uninstaller is running in maintenance mode:

$IA_RESPONSEFILE_PATH$

Stores the complete location of a response file being used by the installer.

$INSTALL_LOG_DESTINATION$

As the creation of the install log is the last action of an installation, this variable can be set anytime during Pre-Install, Install, or Post-Install. The end user input can choose the installation log location.

$INSTALL_SUCCESS$

This variable alerts the end user if the installation was successfully completed or if it failed. Available values for this variable are:

$INSTALLER_LOCALE$

The locale as a string (see java.util.Locale.toString()) that the end user selected at the beginning of the installation.

$INSTALLER_UI$

This resolves to the UI mode for the installer.

Note • The $INSTALLER_UI$ variable is case-sensitive when used in a rule, but is not case-sensitive when used in a response file:

$JAVA_EXECUTABLE$

This is the path to the chosen Java executable.

$JDK_HOME$

This is the path to the root of a JDK installation. This variable is set only if the chosen VM is a JDK. If it is not a JDK, then this variable is blank.

$lax.nl.env.exact_case.
ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_NAME$

Note • Windows and UNIX only.

Access any system environment variable (for example, access Path via $lax.nl.env.exact_case.Path$) by specifying the variable name as a string of the exact case as it is defined in the environment. Note that these variables are resolved at application runtime when LaunchAnywhere executes. Developers can also access system environment variables via LaunchAnywhere properties.

$NULL$

This is equivalent to $EMPTY_STRING$.

$PRODUCT_NAME$

This is the product name.

$PROMPT_USER_CHOSEN_OPTION$

This variable reflects the return value set by the end user’s choice in the Show Message Console dialog box action. If the end user chooses Option 1, this variable is set to 1.

$REGISTER_UNINSTALLER_WINDOWS$

This variable tells the uninstaller if it should register itself with Windows Add/Remove Programs.

Set to FALSE to not have the uninstaller register.

$RESTART_NEEDED$

This variable tells the installer or uninstaller whether the Windows-based target system needs to be restarted to complete the installation or uninstallation. A restart may be recommended or required in the following conditions:

Available values are:

$SKIP_UNINSTALL$

Tells the uninstaller whether to perform the uninstall step. To cause the uninstaller to skip the uninstall step, set $SKIP_UNINSTALL$ to true. To allow the uninstall step to occur, set $SKIP_UNINSTALL$ to false. ($SKIP_UNINSTALL$ is false by default.) If the installer skips the uninstall step, it sets $UNINSTALL_SUCCESS$ to SKIPPED.

Note • The Uninstall Complete panel tests the value of $UNINSTALL_SUCCESS$ variable and provides controls for you to customize the message the panel shows in the event that the uninstall step was intentionally skipped.

$UNINSTALLER_TITLE$

This is the title of the uninstaller displayed in the title bar.

$IA_INSTANCE_MODIFY_PATH$

This variable is set when the end user specifies the path to an instance that they want to modify on the Manage Instances dialog box (or equivalent console panel). Available values are:

Note • This is a read-only value that is you can use as a standard InstallAnywhere variable. This variable is not serialized into the installvariables.properties file or the response files.

$IA_UPGRADE_BASE_VERSION$

This variable indicates the version number of the base version that is being updated.