Custom Actions and Sequences View (or Custom Actions View)

InstallShield 2015

Project: The Custom Actions and Sequences view is available in the following project types:

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Basic MSI

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InstallScript MSI

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MSI Database

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Transform

This view is called the Custom Actions view in the following project types:

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DIM

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Merge Module

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MSM Database

The Custom Actions and Sequences view has three separate areas: a Custom Actions area, an Action Text area, and a Sequences area. The Custom Actions view has the Custom Actions area.

Custom Actions

Microsoft enables you to add flexibility to your installation that is not directly supported by Windows Installer. This additional functionality is achieved through the use of custom actions.

InstallShield supports the use of custom actions to run InstallScript, VBScript, or JavaScript code; call DLL functions; run executable files; call a managed method in a managed assembly; set a property or a directory; trigger an error and end the installation; run PowerShell scripts; terminate a process; or run other installation packages.

The Custom Actions explorer in the Custom Actions and Sequences view behaves the same way as the Custom Actions explorer in the Custom Actions view. For descriptions of each type of custom action, see Custom Action Types. For a description of each custom action setting, see Custom Action Settings.

Action Text

To keep end users informed, installations commonly display text on the progress dialog to describe the installation’s current activity. This usually accompanies the progress bar as a means of installation status. As each standard action and custom action is encountered, a message about the action is displayed on the progress dialog. This may be especially useful for actions that take a long time to execute. The same action text is also written to a log file if one is created at run time.

The Action Text explorer in the Custom Actions and Sequences view (for Basic MSI, InstallScript MSI, MSI Database, and Transform projects) lets you specify the action text for any action in your project. For a description of each action text setting, see Action Text Settings.

Important: The names of the action text items under the Action Text explorer should match the names of standard and custom actions that are in your project. If you change the name of a custom action, you must also change the name of its action text item; otherwise, the action’s text is not displayed at run time or written to the installation’s log file.

Sequences

Sequences direct all of the actions that are performed during the installation process—from file transfer to user interface display (for Basic MSI, MSI Database, and Transform projects). These actions are given a number in the sequence, which then executes from the lowest number to the highest. Rather than having to manually provide a numeric value for every action, you can use the Custom Actions and Sequences view to insert actions into a sequence, or edit the sequence timeline.

Project: In InstallScript MSI projects, the installation’s user interface is generated through the script; the dialogs are not inserted into sequences in the Custom Actions and Sequences view.

If you are creating a custom action or custom dialog in a DIM project or a Merge Module project, you need to first import that DIM or module into an installation project and then add it to a sequence through the Custom Actions and Sequences view of that installation project.

There are three main sequences into which you can insert your dialogs (in Basic MSI, MSI Database, and Transform projects) and custom actions.

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Installation Sequence

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Advertisement Sequence

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Administration Sequence

Each of these sequences plays a different role. The Installation sequence is run during a normal installation. The Advertisement sequence runs when an application is being advertised rather than installed. The Administration sequence is run during an administrative installation.

Modifying Sequences, Actions, and Dialogs

The Custom Actions and Sequences view supports drag-and-drop editing and copying. The context menus in this view provide additional editing methods.

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To sequence a new custom action, drag it from the Custom Actions explorer to the appropriate location in a sequence under the Sequences explorer. When you drop it, drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

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To move a dialog, standard action, or custom action to a different point in a sequence (or from one sequence to another), drag it from the old location and drop it onto the item that should be directly before it in the sequence.

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To copy a custom action from one sequence to another, press and hold CTRL while dragging the custom action from one sequence to another sequence, and drop it onto the action or dialog that should be directly before it.

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When you select a dialog or standard action in the Sequences explorer, the Sequence tab on the right enables you to change the sequence number and add or modify the associated conditions.

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When you select a custom action in the Sequences explorer, more than one tab is displayed on the right:

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Sequence tab—Use this tab to change the sequence number and to add or modify any conditions for the action.

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Action tab—Use this tab to change any settings for the custom action.

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Script tab—This tab is displayed for VBScript and JScript custom actions. It has a script editor that lets you edit your VBScript or JScript code.

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To edit the layout or behavior of a dialog, right-click the dialog in the Sequences explorer and then click Edit Behavior or Edit Layout.

Note: A custom action cannot be called twice in the same sequence, since the custom action name is the key in the CustomAction table. Therefore, you cannot move or copy a custom action to a sequence that already contains that custom action.

Dialogs and standard actions cannot be moved to a different type of sequence through a drag-and-drop operation.

Custom Actions and Sequences View (or Custom Actions View)

InstallShield 2015 Help Library

June 2015