InstallShield 2012 Spring Express Edition User Guide

Default Features
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Project Assistant
3. Click the Installation Architecture explorer and then click New. The Project Assistant creates a
new feature.
4. Press F2 or right-click the feature and select Rename to provide a name for the new feature.
5. To add another feature at the same level, click the Installation Architecture explorer and then
click New. To create a subfeature, click the feature that you want to be the parent feature, and then
click New. The Project Assistant creates the new feature.
6. Continue adding features and subfeatures as needed.
The default feature concept exists only in the Project Assistant. All resources (for example, files or
registry data) that are added to an installation project need to be associated with a feature. If a resource
is not associated with a feature, it is not installed to the target system at run time.
Using a default feature simplifies the authoring experience in the Project Assistant. You do not need to
worry about associating project resources with a feature to ensure that they are installed. When you add
registry data, create new shortcuts, or add files when All Application Data is selected, all of these
resources are added to the default feature. This ensures that all of the project resources you add in the
Project Assistant will be installed to the target system when an end user runs your installation.
Setting the Default Feature
You can set the default feature in the Installation Architecture page of the Project Assistant.
What Happens If There Are No Features or No Default Feature Is Selected?
When you navigate to the Installation Architecture page or add data to the Application Files, Application
Shortcuts, or Application Registry page, InstallShield selects the first root feature as the default feature.
If there are no features, InstallShield creates one silently.
Defining Feature Hierarchy
Top-level features are the highest level in the feature hierarchy. Top-level features might include the
application you want to install, a help library feature, and a sample projects feature.
Beneath the top-level features are subfeatures or child features. This is a feature that is dependent upon
another feature for installation purposes. If the parent (or top-level) feature is not installed to the target
system, the child feature is not installed.
Application Files Page
The Application Files page lets you specify the files you want to associate with each of your features.
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