InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Chapter 8: Organizing Files for Your Installation
Including Files and Folders
Using the By-Directory Method
When the by-directory method is used for dynamic link creation, InstallShield performs the following
tasks at build time for all of the files that meet the include and exclude filter criteria of your dynamic
link:
• InstallShield creates one component for all of the files that are in the root-level dynamically linked
folder, regardless of the file types.
• If the dynamic link includes one or more subfolders, InstallShield creates a separate component for
all of the files in each subfolder, regardless of the file types. The first dynamically linked file in a
subfolder’s component is the key file of that component.
This method of dynamic link creation is the traditional method that was available in InstallShield before
the best practice method was introduced.
Determining Which Dynamic Link Creation Method to Use
For most dynamic links, the preferred dynamic link creation method is the best practice method. This
method, in combination with the streamlined QuickPatch package functionality, enables you to create
patches according to Windows Installer component rules.
The best practice method is also preferred if it is possible that you may someday upgrade your project to
the Premier or Professional edition of InstallShield. These editions let you create minor upgrades and
small updates. For minor upgrades and small updates, the components, key files, and featurecomponent
organization need to be maintained across the earlier and later .msi databases; for patches,
the File table keys also need to be maintained. Since each component name and component code—and
possibly key files—change at each build with the by-directory method of dynamic file linking, issues may
occur. The advantage of the best practice method is that it allows for greater predictability than with the
by-directory method.
Note that if you want to create a patch for an earlier version of your product, and the earlier installation
includes dynamic links that used the by-directory method, you must continue to use the by-directory
method for the same dynamic links. However, if you add new dynamic links in your upgrade project, you
can use the best practice method for those new dynamic links. That is, you can mix both types of
dynamic linking in the same project and create a patch to deliver the upgrade.
Important: Whenever possible, it is better to use the best practice method, instead of the by-directory method, for
creating components for dynamically linked files. Note that with both methods, however, a minor upgrade, a small update,
or a patch may not install correctly if a file that was present in a target image is removed from the dynamic link for the
upgrade or patch.
Note: For information on the rules that Windows Installer uses when determining whether a file included in a package
should overwrite a file that already exists on the target system, see Overwriting Files on the Target Machine.
Specifying Which Dynamic Link Creation Method You Want to Use
The File Linking tab on the Folder Properties dialog box is where you specify which component creation
method you want to use.
162 ISE-1900-UG00 InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide