InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Import Process
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Converting or Importing Visual Studio Projects into InstallShield Projects
InstallShield lets you import a Visual Studio setup or merge module project into an InstallShield Express
project.
Note: If the Visual Studio setup or merge module project that you want to import into an InstallShield project contains one
or more project outputs, the InstallShield project must be in the same Visual Studio solution that contains the Visual Studio
setup or merge module project and all of its project dependencies.
In order to import a Visual Studio project that contains project outputs, you must be using InstallShield from within Visual
Studio. If your InstallShield project is open in InstallShield, but not from within Visual Studio, and you try to import a Visual
Studio project that contains project outputs into the InstallShield project, an error occurs.
Task To import a Visual Studio project (.vdproj) into an Express project (.ise):
1. Create or open the Express project.
2. On the Project menu, click the Visual Studio Deployment Project Wizard button.
3. Complete the panels of the Visual Studio Deployment Project Wizard.
InstallShield imports the Visual Studio project into your open Express project based on the settings that
you configured in the wizard. As InstallShield imports the project, it displays the status of the project
import in the Output window. The Output window shows each step of the conversion process, and it lists
any conversion errors and warnings. InstallShield imports all of the files, registry entries, and other
application data from your Visual Studio project into the Always Install feature of your InstallShield
project.
Conversion Process
If you use InstallShield to convert a Visual Studio setup project, InstallShield creates an InstallShield
Express project (.ise).
Task To convert a Visual Studio project (.vdproj) to an InstallShield project (.ise):
1. Open InstallShield.
2. On the File menu, click Open. The Open dialog box opens.
3. In the Files of type box, select Visual Studio Setup Projects (*.vdproj).
4. Browse to the location of the Visual Studio project that you want to open, and select the project file.
5. Click the Open button.
InstallShield creates an InstallShield project based on the settings in the Visual Studio project.
InstallShield stores the .ise file in the same folder as the .vdproj file. As InstallShield creates the .ise file,
it displays the status of the project conversion in the Output window. The Output window shows each
step of the conversion process, and it lists any conversion errors and warnings.
Once the conversion process finishes successfully, the new InstallShield project is displayed in
InstallShield.
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