InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Term Definition
package code The globally unique identifier for an installation package. See also globally unique identifier
(GUID).
panel A window within a wizard that contains one or more related settings that an end user can
configure. See also wizard.
parent/child
installation
See nested installation.
patch A special type of installation package that contains just the bits and portions of the
application that is necessary to either update the application’s files and installation to a
specific version or to fix a bug in an earlier version.
Glossary
patch file A patch package used for patching. A patch package (.msp) file contains the transforms and
instructions necessary for upgrading one or more installed versions of a product. Windows
Installer uses a patch package to patch local or administrative installations. A patch package
does not include a database like a regular installation package. Instead it contains at
minimum one database transform that adds patching information to the database of its target
installation package. The installer uses this information to apply the patch files that are stored
in the cabinet file stream of the patch package.
patching The method of updating an installation that replaces only the bits being changed rather than
the entire application. This means that end users can download a patch for a product that is
much smaller than the entire product.
path In a computer operating system, a path is the route through a file system to a particular file.
A path name is the specification of that path. Each operating system has its own format for
specifying a path name. The DOS, Windows, and OS/2 operating systems use the following
format: driveletter:directorynamesubdirectorynamefilename.suffix. UNIX-based
systems use the following format: /directory/subdirectory/filename.
path variable A variable that represents a location that can be defined once in a central location so that it is
not necessary to change every source file’s path each time that the project is moved or the
folder structure is changed. You can instead use path variables to define commonly used
paths once, and they are used during the development of your installation project. These
paths do not apply to the target machines where the application is being installed. Rather,
they are used to link to source files that need to be included in your installation project. When
the project is built, those links are evaluated and the files they point to are built into the
installation package.
PKCS See public-key cryptography standards.
platform The operating system for which the installation program is intended. An installation
technology may be limited to creating installations for a specific platform(s).
preview mode Mode for viewing the design of the user interface, or the current appearance of dialog and
billboards. Preview mode is a term used in Windows Installer.
product The actual application to be installed or uninstalled.
product code A string that uniquely identifies a product.
progress bar The visual indication of the progress of an executable file.
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