InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Creating Installations
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If you have ever installed an application onto your computer, you have seen an installation in action—
from the end user’s perspective. An installation’s primary task is to transfer files from the source
medium to the local drive. An installation often also displays a user interface to obtain end user
selections, configures the target system (for example, makes any required registry entries and creates
shortcuts), and enables modification or uninstallation of the installed application. Creating an
installation involves performing some or all of the following tasks.
Specify Installation Information
Basic information that you enter in the General Information view is used in various parts of the
installation.
Organize and Transfer Files
File transfer involves copying files from the source medium, such as a CD or DVD, to a local drive on the
end user’s machine. Depending on the configuration the end user chooses—by selecting a setup type or
features—all or only some of the files may be transferred to the local disk.
Organize the files to be installed into setup types and features to help your end users select the most
appropriate files.
Configure the Target System
In addition to installing files, many installations need to configure the target system by creating
shortcuts and program folders, modifying the registry, modifying initialization file (.ini file) data,
configuring Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) resources, or modifying environment variables.
Customize Installation Behavior
InstallShield offers wide-ranging customization options. The installations can use custom actions to call
.dll functions, launch executable files, run VBScript code, or run JScript code.
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