InstallShield 2013
Project: Some of the following information is project specific, as noted where applicable.
Building a release of an InstallShield project in Visual Studio is different than building a release in InstallShield. When you are building in Visual Studio, you have the option to either build your entire solution, including the installation project, or build only the installation project.
When you create an InstallShield installation project in Visual Studio, the project has two releases by default—Debug and Release. You can use these default releases, or you can create new release. Before you can build a release, the release must be associated with a solution configuration. The Configuration Manager in Visual Studio is where you associate a release with a solution configuration.
Project: In Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, and Merge Module projects, every release is a member of a product configuration. A product configuration provides a means for grouping together releases that share similar settings, such as the product name, product code, and package code. When you build a release for any of these project types, the default product configuration is always used. If you want to build releases in a different product configuration, make that product configuration the default.
Selecting the Default Product Configuration (Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, and Merge Module Projects Only)
If you want to build a release in a Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, or Merge Module project, it must be under the default or active product configuration. This is indicated by a red check box icon in the Releases view:
To make a product configuration the default configuration in your InstallShield project:
| 1. | In the Solution Explorer under Media, double-click Releases. |
| 2. | In the Releases explorer, right-click the product configuration that contains the release that you want to build, and then click Default Product Configuration. |
Tip: To create a new product configuration, right-click the Releases explorer and then click New Product Configuration. Once you have created it, you can make it the default product configuration.
Building a Release
Visual Studio enables you to build your entire solution, including the installation project, or only the installation project.
To build a release from within Visual Studio:
| 1. | Use the Configuration Manager in Visual Studio to map a project configuration to the appropriate solution configuration. |
| a. | On the Build menu, click Configuration Manager. |
As an alternative: On the Standard toolbar, in the Solution Configurations list, select Configuration Manager.
| b. | In the Active solution configuration list, select a configuration. |
| c. | In the Project contexts box, map the project configuration to the appropriate release in the Configuration column. |
Note: If the Build check box is cleared and you build the solution, the deselected project configuration is not built.
| d. | Click the Close button. |
| 2. | On the Build menu, select the appropriate command: |
|
Command |
Description |
|
Build Solution |
Build the entire solution, according to what is mapped in the Configuration Manager for each project that is included in the solution. |
|
Build Installation Project Name |
Build only the installation project, according to the release that is specified in the Configuration column of the Configuration Manager. This option is available if your installation project is selected in the Solution Explorer. |
Tip: To build the entire solution, you can also press CTRL+SHIFT+B.
See Also
Using MSBuild to Build a Release from the Command Line
InstallShield Help LibraryJune 2013 |
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