InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide - Knowledge Base ...

Glossary
Term Definition
window The area in which an open application appears on a screen.
Windows API The Windows application programming interface (API), which provides the building blocks that
are used by applications written for the Windows platform. Each API is a specific method
prescribed by a computer operating system or by an application program. A programmer
writing an application can make requests of the operating system or another application with
the use of a Windows API. Each API has different system requirements to run properly.
Windows installation
CD
The compact disc that contains the Windows operating system. If your computer
manufacturer installed the operating system on your computer, the installation CD should
have been included with your computer documentation. If you installed the Windows
operating system on your computer, you used the installation CD to do so.
Windows Installer (1) An installation and configuration service. It is based on a data-driven model and provides
all installation data and instructions in a single, complete package. In the data-driven
installation model, a master set of installation tables is created where every application
resource (files, registry keys, and so on) is clearly tied to the component or feature it
supports. The user selects the objects to install and where to install them, and the Windows
Installer manages the procedural instructions.
(2) Refers to the service, properties, and tables of an .msi package.
Windows Installer
service
Windows NT service See Windows service.
An operating system component that centrally manages application installation configuration
and application uninstallation.
Windows service Long-running executable applications that run in their own Windows sessions. For example,
writing messages to an event log.
Windows system
folder
Contains core operating system files, which are necessary to keep the computer running
properly. Errors occurring during installation may be a result of missing or corrupt files
contained in the System folder.
wizard (1) A program utility that works as an interactive guide by walking the user step-by-step
through an unfamiliar task.
(2) The InstallShield Wizard is the wizard that displays during the run time of an installation or
uninstallation. It presents the end user with a flexible, predefined series of dialogs that walk
them through the installation or uninstallation process.
wizard dialog Dialogs that display to the end user during installation and uninstallation. They enable end
users to interact with the operation by reading or specifying information.
wizard interface Used by the end user to interact with a wizard at run time.
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get.
XCopyFile An InstallScript function that copies one or more files and subdirectories to a target directory,
creating subdirectories on the target machine, if necessary.
XML See extensible markup language.
XSL See extensible stylesheet language.
734 ISE-1800-UG01 InstallShield 2012 Express Edition User Guide