InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Displaying Features to End Users
Chapter 8: Organizing Files for Your Installation
Defining Features
InstallShield enables you to indicate how you want a feature to be presented to the end user in the
Custom Setup dialog.
The Visible setting for a feature in the Features view is where you indicate whether and how the feature
should be displayed. Available options are:
Table 8-1: Options that Are Available for the Visible Setting
Option Description
Visible and Collapsed The feature is displayed in the Custom Setup dialog with its subfeatures collapsed
by default.
Visible and Expanded The feature is displayed in the Custom Setup dialog with its subfeatures expanded
by default.
Not Visible The feature is be displayed to the end user in the Custom Setup dialog.
Note: Selecting Not Visible for this setting does not have any direct impact on whether a feature is installed. A feature is
not automatically installed if it is invisible—it just cannot be deselected if it would otherwise be installed, or selected if it
should not be installed.
Requiring Features to Be Installed
When you select Yes for a feature’s Required setting, the end user cannot deselect it in the Custom Setup
dialog. The feature will be installed to the target system.
If the value for the Required setting is No, the feature is installed by default, but the end user can
deselect it.
Advertising Features
InstallShield enables you to selectively enable or disable a feature for advertisement. Advertised features
are not installed immediately during the installation process. Instead, they are installed when requested.
If the feature is assigned, the feature appears to be already installed, although it is not installed until the
end user requests it. (Assigned features have their shortcuts installed, and they can be installed from
Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. However, an assigned feature is advertised until a user
requests it.) A published feature does not appear on the target system until it is requested from the
installer. (Published features lack any end user–interface elements. They are installed programmatically
or through an associated MIME type.)
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