InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Chapter 8: Organizing Files for Your Installation
Defining Features
Setup Types
Setup types enable you to allow your end users to selectively install portions of your product or all parts
of your product. The default setup types are Typical, Minimal, and Custom.
Setup types are based on features. You select which features you want to associate with each setup type.
Then, when an end user selects a certain setup type, only those features you associated with that setup
type are installed.
Separating Applications into Features
Separate your application into independent parts, such as help, clip art, and program files. This gives the
end user combination options when installing your application. For instance, if your application
contains a large, graphic-intensive clip art file, you could make the clip art file a feature. This gives the
end user the option of installing or not installing the file—a vital ability for users with limited available
resources.
In separating your application into features, make sure that end users can recombine the parts in several
ways to fulfill specific needs. When doing this, consider the needs of all users, from system administrator
to customer service representative to developer and everyone in between. By addressing all groups of
users, you are promoting increased distribution and usage of your application.
Each feature should have one function—such as help files—and should be clearly defined according to
this functionality to ensure recognition and comprehension. Features should possess an independent
functionality so that users can install and use the feature by itself, if they so choose.
If one feature requires another, make the dependent feature a child of the other.
To eliminate confusion, keep any information pertaining to the management of the system or
application transparent to the user.
Defining Features
A feature is a building block of an application from the end user’s perspective. It represents a specific
capability of your product—such as its help files or a part of a product suite that can be installed or
uninstalled based on the end user’s selections. Your entire application should be divided into features
that perform a specific purpose. You can define features in the Features view.
A feature should be self-contained, in the sense that a feature should not require sibling features. For
example, a thesaurus feature should not require a dictionary feature that the end user can choose not to
install. However, you can design your installation to contain subfeatures of a “parent” feature, which
allow the end user finer control over which files and data to install.
Subfeatures are further divisions of a feature. If all features and subfeatures are visible, your end user
can then select which portions of a feature to install in the Custom Setup dialog.
Tip: Although you can create many levels of subfeatures, you should keep the design as simple as possible for
organizational purposes.
148 ISE-1900-UG00 InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide