InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Chapter 17: Updating Applications
Upgrades Overview
version 1.2. Minor upgrades usually do not have significant changes to the installation organization
between versions. A minor upgrade packaged as a full installation acts like a first-time installation if an
earlier version is not present, or it installs over an existing installation of a product. Essentially for an
upgrade of an existing installation, a minor upgrade installs the differences between your version 1.2 and
1.1 application.
Small Updates
Patching
Edition: You can create small updates in InstallShield Premier Edition or InstallShield Professional Edition.
In essence, a small update is a type of upgrade used to modify a few files for an installed application; it
typically delivers small bug fixes. A small update consists of product changes (such as hotfixes) so small
that no change to the product version is necessary or desired. A package code change is required for a
small update.
A drawback to small updates installed with versions of Windows Installer earlier than 3.0 is that
external programs, including installers for later versions of your product, cannot distinguish between
the original version and the updated version. In addition, Windows Installer versions earlier than 3.0
cannot enforce the correct order in which small updates should be applied.
Edition: You can create standard patches in InstallShield Premier Edition or InstallShield Professional Edition.
Patching is a streamlined mechanism for updating earlier versions of a Windows Installer installation
package, thereby updating the application. With a patch, you deliver to your customers only the bits
required to change an installed file into a new file. One benefit of a patch is that the size of the upgrade
package can be significantly smaller than the full-installation package required to deliver the same
upgrade. Keeping an upgrade package as small as possible allows you to more easily deliver your
upgrades over the Internet.
However, you should note that a patch may not always present the best solution. For example, if you
want to change your installation from compressed to uncompressed, or vice versa, you should package
your upgrade as a full installation, but not as a patch. To learn more about determining the best
packaging option for your upgrade, see Packaging Options for Upgrades.
A patch is delivered in the form of a patch package (.msp) file, which your end user can apply to an
installed product. A patch package is capable of updating as many earlier versions of an installation
package as required. A patch package contains separate transforms and instructions for updating each
previous version that you specify.
An important aspect of patch creation is generating a patch creation properties (.pcp) file, which defines
the parameters on which the patch package is to be created. The .pcp file is a database that has a specific
schema.
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