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Title
Not Able to Set InstallAnywhere Variable

Summary

InstallAnywhere includes a number of default variables that are read-only and are not able to be set.

Synopsis

InstallAnywhere includes a number of default variables that store information that is essential to the installation process. The following variables are read-only and are not able to be set.

Discussion

VariableDescription
$;$ or $:$The $;$ and $:$ variables represent platform-specific path separators.
$/$ or $\$The $/$ and $\$ variables represent platform-specific directory separators, most useful to refer to paths in a platform-independent manner. These variables have the same value as the Java property file separator.
$COMMA$This resolves to a comma (,).
$DOLLAR$This resolves to $.
$EMPTY_STRING$This variable represents a value of null. This makes $EMPTY_STRING$ useful to determine whether any variables have been initialized. Variables that have not yet been initialized will have this as their value.
$EXTRACTOR_DIR$The full path to the directory from where the self-extractor executable file was launched.
$EXTRACTOR_DIR$ is available for the following target systems:
? AIX
? HP-UX
? Linux
? Solaris
? UNIX
? Windows
See also the $INSTALLER_LAUNCH_DIR$ variable, which is available for OS X?based installers and pure Java?based installers.
$EXTRACTOR_EXECUTABLE$The full path to the self-extractor executable file in the location where it was launched.
$FREE_DISK_SPACE_BYTES$
$FREE_DISK_SPACE_KILOBYTES$
$FREE_DISK_SPACE_MEGABYTES$
$FREE_DISK_SPACE_GIGABYTES$		The free disk space available on the destination install volume, as a string representing the free bytes, as determined by the Disk Space Check action. The variable gains its value immediately before the installation of any files or folder listed in the Install sequence.
$IA_INSTALL_LOG$Setting this variable generates an XML-formatted installation log in the $USER_INSTALL_DIR$ location. The log details the installation along with warnings and errors.
$INSTALL_SUCCESS$This variable alerts the end user if the installation was successfully completed or if it failed. Available values for this variable are:
? SUCCESS
? WARNING
? NONFATAL_ERROR
? FATAL_ERROR
$INSTALLER_LAUNCH_DIR$The full path to the directory from where the self-extractor executable file was launched.
This variable is available for pure Java?based installers and OS X?based installers.
See also the $EXTRACTOR_DIR$ variable, which is available for other platforms.
$INSTALLER_LOCALE$The locale as a string (see java.util.Locale.toString()) that the end user selected at the beginning of the installation.
$INSTALLER_UI$This resolves to the UI mode for the installer. (Note: Read-only, but can be set at the start)
$JAVA_DOT_HOME$This is what the Java property java.home reports.
$JAVA_EXECUTABLE$This is the path to the chosen Java executable.
$JAVA_HOME$This is the root of the Java installation.
$JDK_HOME$This is the path to the root of a JDK installation. This variable is set only if the chosen VM is a JDK. If it is not a JDK, then this variable is blank.
$lax.nl.env.ENVIRONMENT_
VARIABLE_NAME$		Access any system environment variable (for example, access PATH via $lax.nl.env.PATH$) by specifying the variable name as an all uppercase string. These variables are resolved at application runtime, when LaunchAnywhere executes. Developers can also access system environment variables via LaunchAnywhere properties.
$lax.nl.env.exact_case.
ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_NAME$		Access any system environment variable (for example, access Path via $lax.nl.env.exact_case.Path$) by specifying the variable name as a string of the exact case as it is defined in the environment. Note that these variables are resolved at application runtime when LaunchAnywhere executes. Developers can also access system environment variables via LaunchAnywhere properties.
$NULL$This is equivalent to $EMPTY_STRING$.
$PRODUCT_ID$Resolves to the value of the Product Code setting (Project page > General Settings view).
$PRODUCT_VERSION_NUMBER$Resolves to the value of the Product Version (Project page > General Settings view).
$PROMPT_USER_CHOSEN_OPTION$This variable reflects the return value set by the end user?s choice in the Show Message Console dialog box action. If the end user chooses Option 1, this variable is set to 1.
$prop.JAVA_PROPERTY$Access any Java property through InstallAnywhere Variables. An example is $prop.os.name$ which returns the value of the os.name property.
$REQUIRED_DISK_SPACE_BYTES$
$REQUIRED_DISK_SPACE_KILOBYTES$
$REQUIRED_DISK_SPACE_MEGABYTES$
$REQUIRED_DISK_SPACE_GIGABYTES$		The disk space required by the installer, as a string representing the required bytes, as determined by the Disk Space Check action. The variable gains its value immediately before the installation of any files or folder listed in the Install sequence.
$SHORTCUT_NAME$This variable resolves to ?Shortcut? on Windows-based systems, ?Alias? on OS X?based systems, and ?Link? on all other systems.
$UNINSTALL_SUCCESS$The same as $INSTALL_SUCCESS$, but for the uninstaller. Available values are:
? SUCCESS
? SKIPPED
? INCOMPLETE
$IA_INSTANCE_MANAGEMENT_OPTION$This variable is set by the choice an end user makes on the Manage Instances dialog box (or equivalent console panel), or during an upgrade. Available values are:
? NEW?Indicates that the end user chose the Install a New Instance option.
? MODIFY?Indicates that the end user chose the Modify an Existing Instance option.
? NOT_DEFINED (or empty)?Variable is not defined.
This variable is also used in upgrade mode. In upgrade mode, the value of this variable is:
? UPGRADE?Indicates that an instance is being upgraded.
$IA_INSTANCE_MODIFY_PATH$This variable is set when the end user specifies the path to an instance that they want to modify on the Manage Instances dialog box (or equivalent console panel). Available values are:
? [Path to instance being modified]?When the user has chosen an instance to modify
? NOT_DEFINED (or empty)?Variable is not defined.
$IA_INSTALL_INSTANCE_NUM$This variable reflects the number of the instance of the product that is being installed. Available values are:
? [Number of the instance being installed]?The number of the instance of the product currently being installed
? NOT_DEFINED (or empty)?Variable is not defined.
$IA_UPGRADE_BASE_VERSION$This variable indicates the version number of the base version that is being updated.
$IA_UPGRADE_BASE_LOCATION$This variable indicates the version number of the base product that is being updated.

Additional Information

For a full listing of Standard InstallAnywhere Variables, refer to the following HelpNet article: Standard InstallAnywhere Variables
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Not Able to Set InstallAnywhere Variable